


Redepemption

by gyllene76



Category: Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-02-28 16:48:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 55,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2739791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyllene76/pseuds/gyllene76
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the fairy war in Dead and Gone, Sookie is unable to use her shields to block the thoughts of her friends that are trying to take care of her. Eric hasn't told Sookie where he was and why he didn't save her. Sookie decides to she needs to get away from everyone's thoughts and Eric while she heals. At the beginning, Sookie is her usual self but she will get smarter. I promise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

#### SPOV: November

I had been home for almost a week after being captured, tortured, and raped by Neave and Lochlan.  Eric had been coming to see me and gave me his blood every night to help me heal except for tonight.  Tonight he had to go to Fangtasia.  All he told me was that he was expecting an important visit from DeCastro.  His new king.

So there, I was laying on the couch recovering from my injuries staring at the TV, alone.  Thankfully, my injuries were mostly healed from taking so much of Eric’s blood, but the way everyone looked at me (and their thoughts) you wouldn’t think so.  I didn't know how I was supposed to get over this when everyone that knows what happened cannot stop thinking about all the possibilities of what the fairies did to me.  I couldn't get away from their thoughts except for when Eric was around.

On one hand, it was nice that Eric had been around.  He’s kept everyone away from me, and been giving me his blood to heal.  If it weren’t for his blood, I would be in so much pain and horribly scarred. If I still looked all beaten up, I can’t imagine how bad it would be to be around all the people who’ve come by. However, Eric hasn’t told me yet why he wasn’t the one to save me that fateful night and I find it incredibly frustrating.  When I asked him while we were at the hospital all he said was 'You're killing me, you're killing me.'  Since then we haven't spoken about it.

Why didn’t he come for me?  Was I wrong on how much he cares for me?  Perhaps, he wasn’t being faithful to me.  Ugh, I don’t even want to go down that road.  I had always thought of Eric as loyal and I thought he was to me, but I couldn't stop wondering why he wouldn’t answer a simple question. I was feeling better now so he couldn't use that as an excuse.  Well physically, I was mostly healed.  Emotionally I don’t know if I’ll ever be, but I’m a grown woman, and I’m entitled to know the truth.

I heard Amelia get up and go into her bathroom.  Maybe I should go back to my room so she doesn’t see me.  Every time she sees me she thinks the most horrible thoughts about how I looked the first time she saw me after my life altering event and that’s what it was.  Life.  Altering. I’ll never be the same after that day.

Since she's such a strong broadcaster, I can't keep her thoughts out.  Amelia may say she doesn’t blame me for Tray’s death, but I know she does. I could hear her thoughts. She was trying to be nice so I could heal, but when she’s not thinking about Tray being dead then she’s thinking about how I looked when I came home from the hospital.

One day while I was sleeping, Alcide came over to see how I was and talked to Amelia.  He told her all he knew about Lochlan and Neave.  So now, she imagines what they could have possibly done to me and tried to connect the dots on all the bite marks and knife wounds, I had.  

Its' been too hard to put up my shields and not listen to everyone and it's only getting worse the longer I'm stuck in this house.  Eric and Pam have been the only respite I have gotten although every time I see him, I taste the bitterness. It’s not that I blame Eric, but I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t come to my rescue and save me from the torture, I had to endure. I can’t help but to think that if something was stopping him, he would just say so. That he would explain to me that it was out of his control or something, but no, nothing. He has not explained anything so he has no excuses. Pam has only visited once, but she has been running Fangtasia while Eric has been gone so at least she has a good excuse for not being there for me, unlike someone I know.  Bill finally came home from the hospital yesterday, but he’s still very weak from the silver poisoning. I guess I wouldn't be seeing him anytime soon.

Before Amelia could come downstairs, I decided that I’m going to go to my room.  I shouldn’t have to hide out in my own house but I am.  I need to get some sleep since tomorrow is Tray’s funeral.  I know I’ll probably not get very much sleep, but I need to try. Every night I had been having nightmares of my time with the fairies, so I was hardly getting any sleep most nights.

 OoOoO

Amelia and I had just gotten back from Tray’s funeral and I felt like I was about to lose my mind.  Listening to everyone’s pity for me and their thoughts of my torture.  The supernatural community gossips more than anyone else I know.  What happened in my life should be private.  I wished everyone could control his or her thoughts since I couldn't right now.

I’d decided I needed to talk to Amelia.  I’d made a few decisions last night when I couldn’t sleep.  Decisions that I don’t think are going to make very many people happy, but I felt that I needed to get away for a while and do what was best for  _me_ .  I needed to go somewhere where no one knew me and I could get some peace.

I walked upstairs to Amelia’s room and knocked on her door.  I opened the door when I heard her call for me to come in.  Amelia was curled up on her bed in the fetal position, still in her funeral clothes.  I walked over to her bed and sat beside her.

“I need to talk to you and ask you for a favor,” Amelia opened her eyes and looked up at me. “I know this is a bad time, but after this hopefully things will get better for you and me.”

“What do you need Sookie?”  Amelia whispered.  I hated that I had to ask her for anything while she was mourning, but I hoped that what I was about to ask would make things better for the both of us.  I had never seen her look so sad.  Her eyes were swollen and her cheeks stained with tears.

“I’ve been doing some thinking and I need to get away from here for a while.  My shields are weak and I can’t keep anyone out.  I appreciate that you, Sam, Alcide, and Eric have all been taking care of me, you especially, but I can’t be around your thoughts anymore.  So what I’m asking of you is if it’s possible for you to make a potion that will block the blood bond I have with Eric.”

“Why do you want to block it?”  She asked me.

“I want to get away from everyone including Eric.  I know I can’t hear his thoughts, but I’ve been having my own thoughts about him.  I don’t want him to be able to find me.”

“What kind of thoughts are you having?”  Amelia asked as she sat up in bed and crossed her legs in front of her.

“My biggest thought is why didn’t he save me that night?  That just gets me started on other issues.  You know I’ve always wondered if the bond was making me feel certain things for Eric or if they are my real feelings."  Amelia nodded her head.  "I need to be alone in my body right now and figure some things out and heal. Physically and emotionally.”

“Why don’t you just ask Eric why he didn’t save you?”

“I did.  The night of the fairy war.  He didn’t answer me.  I thought he really cared about me, but maybe I’m just being duped again. I’m in a fragile place right now and to have him come here and remind me of all these questions swirling in my head.  Can you do this?  If you can then I’ll be away from here and maybe then you can also heal some.  I know it’s hard to see me and not think about Tray.”

“I’m sorry Sookie.  I don’t mean to and I definitely don’t want to run you out of your own house.”

“You’re not.  I need to get away from  _everything_ .  I need to be around people who don’t know me and aren’t thinking about what the fairies did to me.”

“You know Eric isn’t going to be happy about this, don’t you?”

“True but sometimes I wonder about his intentions and I’m sure he’ll be angrier about the fact I left without his permission than anything else. Right now I don’t really care about how this will affect him; I need to do this for myself.”  

“I think I can come up with a potion.  I’ll need to make sure I have all the ingredients for it. Let me get up and check.  I may need to go out and get some.  When do you want this done by?”

“As quick as possible.  Do you think you could get it done by this afternoon?  I’d like to hit the road before sunset.  If you need, anything just let me know and I'll get it for you while I'm out.  I’m going to go to Eric’s house and leave a letter for him.”

“Why not just wait till he wakes up and talk to him?”

“First of all, he won’t let me leave once I tell him what I want to do,” I said to her.  “Secondly, if he wakes up and the bond is gone he’ll think I’m dead.  He’ll travel here immediately.  I want him to know why I am doing this and to not come looking for me.”

“If that’s what you want to do, I’ll check and let you know in a little bit.  I should be able to do it once I have everything together in under an hour.”

I wrapped my arms around Amelia and hugged her.  She’s such a good friend.  She really didn't have to do this for me.  I knew that she was grieving and would rather be doing anything except helping me, run away.

I got up and walked downstairs to my room to write my letter to Eric.

#####  **_ Dear Eric, _ **

#####  **_ I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay but I need to get away from everyone and everything for a while.  I don’t know where I’m going, but please do not try to find me.  I need time to heal both emotionally and physically. _ **

#####  **_ I had Amelia create a potion that will block our bond.  Please do not threaten or hurt her.  I asked her to do this for me.  She thought I should stay and talk to you, but I have too many thoughts running through my head right now.  I couldn’t do that.  I’m sorry. _ **

#####  _** I'm not sure where we are in our relationship or if we even have one anymore.  As you know, I have always wondered what my true feelings are towards you since the blood bond was created.  It always seems like you don't want to give me the answers to many of the important problems between us.  I want to take this time to figure all this out while the bond isn't affecting me.  Maybe you don’t even care that I’m gone, but I wanted you to know that I’m alive. I will get in touch with you when I’m ready. ** _

#####  _** Sookie ** _

I put the letter in an envelope and marked Eric’s name on the outside.  Once I was done getting dressed, I headed back upstairs to Amelia’s room.  This time her door was open and she was reading a book.  When she noticed me at the door, she looked up.

“We’re in luck.  I don’t need anything and it should be done by the time you get back from Shreveport.  You should hurry though if you want to get some distance before sunset.  I plan to take a trip down to New Orleans for a couple of days to see how my property is doing.  I don’t want to be here in case tall, blonde, and deadly comes over on a rampage.”

“I wrote him a letter and told him it was all my idea and to leave you alone.  But if you want to go then I won’t stop you.”

“It's as good of time as any.  I really have been meaning to go down there and check on how everything is.”

“Okay.  I really should be going so we can both take off when I get back.  I’ll see you in a little while.  Thank you for doing this for me. I really appreciate it.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Amelia said giving me a quick hug that I gave back.

 OoOoO

Once I arrived at Eric’s house, I let myself in and went down to his resting place.  I turned on my cell phone so I could have some light to see.  I hated how totally dark it was in here.  I should have brought a flashlight, but I guess I wasn't thinking that far ahead.

I looked to my left and there was Eric laying in his bed almost looking like a boy.  His features were relaxed and he had a few strands of hair on his face. He always looked so peaceful when he slept (I guess technically dead for the day).  I placed the envelope with his letter in his hand so he would hopefully notice it when he woke up.  I brushed the hair out of his face and lightly kissed his lips.

"Goodbye, Eric," I whispered and retreated from his resting place.

I quickly worked my way through the house and locked everything up.  I rushed out to my car and out of Shreveport.  I want to get back to Bon Temps as soon as possible and put some miles between me and everything here.  

OoOoO

I parked my car at the back door and quickly made my way inside. Amelia was standing in the kitchen with a small flask and a large blue bottle in her hands.

“What do you got in your hands there Amelia?”  I asked her.

“Your potions.  One is for you to take now it's the stronger of the two and it will start blocking the bond. You will then need to keep taking it every day until you want the bond back.  You will only have to take a tablespoon of the potion each day for it to work after the initial dose.”

“Thank you so much for this Amelia.  You have no idea how much this means to me.  I’m going to quickly make sure I’ve got everything I’ll need then I’ll be back to take the potion.”  

I walked to my bedroom, grabbed my bags that I had left on my bed, and took a quick look around.  It looked like I had everything so I headed back into the kitchen where Amelia was waiting for me.  She had a little suitcase sitting by the back door.

“Just drink this and then tell me how you feel,” Amelia said as she handed the flask over to me.

I took the potion from her; I drank it down as fast as I could.  Oh my God.  This stuff tastes absolutely wretched.  I fought to try and not throw up all over poor Amelia.  I looked over at Amelia and I could tell shewas trying to not crack up.

“What?”  I asked her.

“The look on your face is so comical.  Does it really taste that bad?”

“I think it’s the worst tasting stuff I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Well you’re lucky because from now on your doses will be much smaller.  How do you feel?”

“I feel fine,” I said before I clutched at my chest as I started to feel the bond fade away into nothing. “I no longer feel Eric at all,” I told her as my eyes started to well up.  It felt as if there’s a hole in my heart where the bond was.

“Don’t cry Sookie.  I thought this is what you wanted.”

“I know.  I know.  I just didn’t expect it to feel like this.  I need to go and you should too.  I’m going to leave a message on Eric’s phone in case he doesn’t see his note.  I really hope he doesn’t feel like this when he wakes up.”  I knew I would hate to wake up with this feeling.  Maybe I should have talked to Eric first before doing this, but it's too late now.  I had to suck it up and face the consequences.

I gave Amelia a quick hug and told her I hoped to see her soon.   I grabbed my bags and the bottle of potion and headed for my car. Once I was on the highway I called Eric and told him, that I was okay, to please read his letter, and that I was sorry.  I would be in touch with him when I was going to come home then I turned off my phone.  I don’t want to get any phone calls and I hoped that with it off it couldn't be traced.

I continued my way north on the highway.  I needed to get as far from Louisiana as I could.

OoOoO

I had been traveling north for a week now when I stopped in a cute little town called Rockland, Maine.  Downtown looked like it came straight out of the 1940’s with all of its red, brick buildings that had not been updated in a long time.  It was a small town that looked like any town, anywhere.  No one should be able to find me here.  What really made my decision for me to stay was the harbor.  It was so peaceful and quaint.  It was lined with old buildings, boats and a mountain that’s full of trees in their fall color splendor.

It was serene and that was just what I needed to begin this journey of healing.

 

    Rockland, Maine Downtown

    Downtown-Rockland, Maine

    Harbor

  


    Harbor in Fall

    Rockland, Maine Sunset

    Sookie's house in Rockland, Maine

  


    Last light

 

[   
](http://gyllene76.wordpress.com/redemption/chapter-2-2/) [ ](http://gyllene76.com/redemption/redemption-casting/) [](http://gyllene76.com/)

 


	2. Chapter 2

EPOV: January

It's been almost two months since Sookie left and I woke up thinking she was dead. I rose from my daytime rest and felt an aching void in my chest. I roared as I sat up, grabbing a pair of jeans to throw on before I took off to find out what had happened.

I thought I had lost her. Actually, I may still have lost her. I may never get out of this shithole DeCastro put me in. Although Sookie told me not to go looking for her, I did. I had to. I was willing to let her heal. I wanted her to heal. She needed it, but I wished she had talked to me before having done something so irrational.

I found the note she had left me. Well, at least there was one. If not for that, I would have thought she was dead. When I arrived at her house, no one was there. There were no lights on. Nothing. Her scent went as far as where she normally parked her car, and then disappeared.

She was gone.

She had to get away from everything and that included me. How could she possibly think that I would not care that she was gone? I had been with her every single night from the time when the fairy war except the night before she left.

One night.

I knew that she was confused and distraught that I was not there to save her from the fairies. I knew I should have told her once she had returned home from the hospital, but I wanted to give her more time to heal. She had never raised the subject again, but I should have known by feeling her despair and heartache that it was something she still needed and wanted to know.

Now I could not feel her at all. I didn't know where she was. All I knew was that she was alive. About a month ago, I rose from my daytime rest and I felt her life force inside of me, but that was all I could feel. Well, I could also feel that she was far away.

I was trying to give her time to heal. I wanted to give her that time to heal. Unfortunately, that's when DeCastro began to call. He wanted Sookie to read some of his employees. I informed him that she was still healing from the injuries she had sustained when the fairies had kidnapped her, and I would let him know when she’d be able to work. The king continued to call, wanting to know of Sookie’s availability, telling me she should go to see Dr. Ludwig to get the necessary care, and then the doctor could give an estimate of when she would likely recover.

I could do none of those things. I couldn't take her to the doctor nor put her on the phone because she was gone and I had no idea when she would return. I couldn't get in touch with her even if I wanted. It didn't look very good when you couldn't reach your pledged and bonded.

So there I was, sitting in my tiny silver-lined cell. DeCastro called me to Nevada two days after I felt Sookie. I was attempting to pinpoint her location. I went to the farmhouse to speak with the witch to inquire as to whether she had heard anything, but she told me that she hadn't. I believed her. I didn't think either one of us thought Sookie would be gone this long.

I had just walked into my office and was sorting through the mail when I spotted a letter from Sookie. Just as I was about to open it, Victor came storming into my office with a worried-looking Pam behind him.

"There is a van here with ten vampires to take you”, Pam informed me.  (There's a van here with ten vampires to take you.)

"Northman, lovely to see you. I'm here to take you to Nevada. The king has tired of your excuses. We are to leave immediately unless you are able to provide some type of communication with your lovely wife," Victor said, looking very smug.

Why haven't we killed this asshole yet?

It was as if they knew I had no idea of her whereabouts. They probably did. I was going to need Pam to seek out and find the spy in my Area while I too was absent. Should I have her read the letter from Sookie? If there was anything too personal in it, Sookie would likely be angry with me if Pam read it. I didn't want her to read the first correspondence that I had received from Sookie in over a month.

"Pam, hitta spionen. Någon vet min fru är borta. Lägg brevet från henne I mitt kassaskåp tills jag kommer tillbaka. Gör mig stolt mitt barn." (Pam, find the spy. Someone knows my wife is gone. Put the letter from her in my safe for my return. Do me proud, my child.)

Pam only bowed to me as I was escorted out the back entrance and into a van. Ten vampires and Victor, did they really believe they could stop me if I wanted to get out of there?  I could kill them all very quickly, but then I'd be on the run or I'd have to kill the king. Neither was something I wanted, especially when Sookie might be coming home.

Only she hadn't come home. By my estimate, she had not left wherever she was. She was still very far away, thousands of miles away. I would give anything to feel her, to know that she was all right, to see and touch her one more time.

When I first arrived in Nevada, I was brought immediately in front of the king. There was only an hour before dawn so that left very little time to question me.

"I grow tired of your games, Northman. Tell me where Miss Stackhouse is and we will forget this whole incident."

I knew he wouldn't forget. DeCastro was infuriated when he hadn't been able to get his very own telepath.  It didn't really matter; he was going to punish me for having married Sookie so that he couldn't get his disgusting hands on her.  I would never give her up.  We had gone through so much to be together. Hell, I didn't even know if there was an “us” seeing as she had taken off and left me that damn note.

I wondered what her note said that I had left for Pam to put away in my safe. Not knowing was going to drive me crazy until I would be released, whenever that might happen. I didn't think they would kill me. They would keep me to use as a bargaining chip just in case they ever found Sookie.

"Your Majesty,” I said, bowing my head to him as the guard had thrown me down on my knees.  "As I informed Victor, my wife continues to recover from the fairy attack. I sent her away to heal. When she has recuperated, she will return. Humans are so very fragile and she was fortunate to have survived. There was a great deal of physical and emotional damage for her to just simply heal and overcome."

All of this was true except I didn't know if she'd ever return. I really wished Sookie had come to me and asked whatever had been on her mind. She was so stubborn and irritating.

"Very well. If you will not provide me with her services, then you shall be punished for preventing me from such. As the King of Louisiana, she is my asset to do with as I wish."

"She is my wife. My bonded. She is Mine. No one else's,” I said with venom in my voice.

"Get him out of my sight. You know what to do with him."

Vampires surrounded me and shackled me with silver. They took me into custody yet again that night and threw me into a cell. My prison.

Every night over the past month I was questioned regarding Sookie’s location. At least if they were still asking, then they didn't know where she was either. Even if I had known, I wouldn't have told them.  She had been through too much already. Who knew what they might do to her if they caught her, I knew it would be too much for her. I could handle the punishment I was receiving. I'd been through much worse by the hands of my Maker. I would take whatever they gave me for as long as it took.

I only received one TruBlood a week. They were purposely keeping me weak. It would take some time once I was out of this cell to heal and regain my strength.

I had been kept naked with only a tiny chair on which to sit in my silver-lined cell. I had had liquid silver poured on my body, been impaled with silver rods, had my right hand amputated along with all my toes. I was repeatedly beaten, cut, and stabbed. I’d lost a great deal blood, still, no matter what they tried, they could not break me.

SPOV

I sat staring at the white stick on the bathroom counter not believing my eyes. I was pregnant.

This was not something I ever saw in my future. I had realized that by being with a vampire I would never have a child. I also never thought I would be raped by a psychotic fairy while his evil sister sat back and watched.

I'd been gone a little over a month. In that month, I had done what I had set out to do, I healed. I may not have been one hundred percent quite yet, but I may never be. The bite marks were almost completely gone. I’d have a few scars from the really deep ones. The bruises were all gone as well as the knife marks, and the stab wounds had faded to next to nothing.

Being away from everyone truly had helped. Here in Maine no one knew me, and they had no idea what had happened to me. I kept my arms and legs covered while the last of my injuries healed so no one could see them.

Being away from Eric, and not being able to feel him only made me realize that I missed him and that I truly loved him. I guess the bond really wasn't making me feel anything that hadn’t been real. I hated feeling the void where the bond once was.

I was preparing to head back to Louisiana and face everyone, including Eric. I had been feeling a little worn down, but I figured that maybe I was still healing. Then I started to feel nauseous day and night over the last three days. I looked at the calendar and realized that I hadn't gotten my period so I ran to the pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test just in case. Surely, I couldn't be pregnant. Vampires can't impregnate anyone, but why else would I be having these symptoms?

I was pregnant. What was I going to do? I was pregnant by some psychotic fairy! I couldn't go back to Louisiana, face everyone, and tell them how I had become pregnant.  I lived in a small town. I was known as “Crazy Sookie” in Bon Temps, and if I went back, I'd be known as a crazy whore. I didn't want my child to grow up around that.

Eric would never want me now. I was for certain of that fact. He’d know what the fairy had done to me, or he would think I had been having sex with someone else behind his back. No, he knew I would never do that, wouldn't he? Either way he would never accept me this way. I finally realized that I truly loved him and it didn’t matter, I had still lost him.

I’d just continue my life here. It was a nice town. No one thought I was crazy. They might think I was a whore seeing as I’d be single and pregnant, but at least I would have a new start.

Tomorrow I needed to find a good job. I'd keep renting this house for the time being. It was big enough for a baby and me. A baby… I wish this was a more joyous occasion, but it was just me for now. Alone. I would have to stop drinking the potion. That couldn't be good for the baby. Once I had a job, I'd need to find a doctor. I would need to start taking vitamins.

I wandered into my bedroom, lay down on my bed, stared at the ceiling, and ran over all the things I would need to do to begin my new life.

OoOoO

 

Translations are from Google Translate.  I'm sorry if there are any mistakes in my Swedish.

 


	3. Chapter 3

EPOV: March

I had been out of that fucking prison for close to a month now. DeCastro held me in that tiny, silver-lined cell for sixty days while he had me tortured trying to ascertain Sookie’s location. I would have never told them even if I had known where she was. I would have died my True Death before handing Sookie over to DeCastro.

Prior to my being apprehended and taken to Nevada, a letter from Sookie had arrived. I had instructed Pam put it away for me in my safe. Upon my return to Shreveport, I immediately went to Fangtasia and to my safe. I had been trying to imagine what was in that letter for two entire months. I knew that it probably wasn’t good news because she still wasn’t any closer to home.

I could feel that Sookie was still very far away. She wasn't moving any closer to Louisiana where I could feel Pam in our bond. No, she was much further northeast. I could only pray to my Gods that for once in her life, Sookie wasn’t in any danger.

I swept into my office, opened the safe, took out the letter, and sat behind my desk to read it.

**_Dear Eric,_ **

**_I just wanted to let you know that I'm safe,_ ** **_but I won’t_ ** **_be coming back to Louisiana. Too much has happened for me to return that you don't know about. I'm sorry, but know that during my time away with our bond blocked, I realized my true feelings for you. I miss you and love you very much._ **

**_I wish things could be different for us._ ** [ _  
_ ](https://d.docs.live.net/dc857a0bb7cb4d58/Redemption/Final/Chapter%203.docx#_msocom_2)

**_Love Always,_ **

**_Sookie_ **

I didn't really know what to think of her letter at that time. I was overjoyed that Sookie had finally admitted her love for me, yet, at the same time, I was livid that she didn't want to come back. What could have possibly have happened that I don't know about?  Now I was perplexed as to why she was staying away from everyone that she loved, including me.

I'd been waiting ever since I had gotten back from Nevada to begin my search for Sookie for a couple of different reasons. First, _I_ needed to finish healing. All of my toes had grown back and my hand just had its fingers left to regrow. 

It had been an agonizing recuperation having to re-grow my extremities. My recovery time had been quite stunted while I was being held in Nevada. With only one bottle of TruBlood per week, my body had healed more slowly than it normally would have. Since I'd returned to Shreveport, I'd been feeding on multiple donors every night to recover.

Pam had let me know on numerous occasions that I hadn't been good for business since I'd been ‘extra bitchy’ but I didn’t care. I may be feeding off of the people at Fangtasia, but that was the only thing I was doing. I didn’t want them anywhere near me.  Unfortunately, that had been noticed, and the fangbangers were trying harder than ever for me to fuck them.  _Never. Going. To. Happen._  If Sookie ever came back and found out that I'd been with anyone else, she would leave, and then forever be gone. My fidelity to her would be absolute. I knew she was apprehensive about this because of Compton, but I wanted only her.

No matter what. I would always want her only.

The other reason I hadn’t gone to her was because I didn't want DeCastro to discover her location. I needed to be very careful when I went to her. I wanted her to be safe and not get scared away. Therefore, I had been biding my time, just hanging on and waiting for the right moment when I could slip away unnoticed.

It wouldn’t take me too long to locate her once I set out to find her. The postage on her letter was from Rockland, Maine. I’d start there and use our bond to locate her. I knew that once I got closer, the ability to feel her would be more enhanced than what I was currently feeling. I could only feel her life force inside of me due to our far distance apart. I’d have to block the bond so she wouldn't run when she felt me coming near. Make no mistake, I would find her.[  
](https://d.docs.live.net/dc857a0bb7cb4d58/Redemption/Final/Chapter%203.docx#_msocom_4)

OoOoO

  **SPOV: April**

It had been two months since I found out I was pregnant. I took a job at the local library and I really liked it. It was quiet and the customers there weren't trying to grab my ass nor did they even think of touching me. They only thought of me as the new girl in town who was pretty, quiet, and shy. The great thing about working in the library was that I had the time and opportunity to read, and enjoy so many different kinds of books.  These days, I was trying to read all the books that had anything to do with being pregnant once they were checked in.  I definitely did not need to read any romance novels right now!

I went to the doctor about a month after I discovered that I was pregnant and found out I was due August 25th. I had needed to save up some money from my job before I could afford to go. Going to an OB/GYN wasn't cheap, especially when you’re pregnant, but I worked a payment plan out with them. Unfortunately, when I left Bon Temps I didn’t think I would be gone for good, so I hadn’t taken very much money out of my savings account. I wasn’t about to try to take my money out of my account as I wasn’t sure if someone had been watching them. If there was someone watching my accounts, then doing that would lead them straight to me. I had my name changed to Ana North in the hope that no one from my old life would find me. So far, my life had been quiet.

Quiet but lonely.

I left Bon Temps at the end of November and it was now April. It had been so depressing being all alone for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, especially when I had just realized that I did, indeed, love Eric, and just how much I loved him, but would never be with him. I had never been away from my family and friends during the holidays, and I wanted so desperately to call them during that time. It would take some getting used to, but, before too long, my baby would be here and I would be very busy.

 

I pretty much kept to myself so I didn't have to explain my circumstances to anyone. In addition, if no one knew about me, then they couldn't talk about me. I had cut my hair to just above my shoulders to help change my appearance. I couldn’t find it in me to color my hair though.

So far, I hadn't run into anyone from the Supernatural world. I mean, it took two years for a vampire to come to Bon Temps and that was only because Bill’s Queen had sent him for me. Yes, I’m still a little bitter about it. I just don’t want to run into any vampires. It wouldn’t do me any good if they figured out who or what I was.

Every night I would lie in bed and think about Eric. I wondered what he was doing and if he missed me. How did he take it when I left? When I first stopped taking the potion, I was really surprised that he didn’t come for me. When he didn’t, I tried to rationalize it by telling myself that I _had_ told him not to come looking for me. Maybe he was mad that I left, or maybe he never really cared. Perhaps he had grown tired of me, and our time together had come to a close. It had always been my biggest fear with Eric, that he would grow tired of me just as Bill had. As much as it hurt when Bill betrayed me and we broke up, I always knew if I let myself love Eric and gave myself to him fully, that when he grew tired of me or became unfaithful, it would break me and I would never recover.

I mean, how long could I possibly have had with Eric before his eyes started to wander? Every night he had women and men throwing themselves at him and all they wanted was to be able to say that Eric Northman had fucked them and fed from them.  Plus, Eric is… Eric. He‘s seen everything and could have anyone he wanted. What could he have possibly wanted with me?  I’m just a small town girl with only a high school education who, up until I met vampires, had never even been out of the state.

That was enough wallowing and pity for tonight. I had to go to bed so I could get up in the morning and go to work. I’d been trying to get at least eight hours of sleep per night. Being pregnant took so much out of me! At least I was out of the morning sickness stage. I had been watching what I was eating according to ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting.’ I bought a pregnancy yoga video to do for exercise because I read it would help my body bounce back after having the baby if I exercised for the duration of the pregnancy.

I turned over on my side and placed my hand on my stomach. I was starting to show a little bit and while I was excited now, I was sure that in a few months when I was as big as a whale and couldn’t see my own feet, I would not be. Soon I’d be able to feel the baby kicking, and at my next appointment, I would find out the sex of the baby. At first, I thought it would be exciting to wait, but I guess my practical side won over. If I knew the sex of the baby, then I would be able to shop for whatever he or she would need throughout my pregnancy. I really wished I had someone to share all of this with, and that my baby had a father.

I wished Eric was here.

OoOoO

**EPOV: April**

I couldn't possibly wait any longer to find Sookie. I couldn't get her out of my mind, and it was quite possibly, slowly, driving me insane. She was all I could think of anymore, and I was almost fully healed now except for my fingernails. Pam was going to cover my sheriff duties and Fangtasia for me while I was gone. I could only be gone for a week before questions would start to be asked. It should only take me two days to fly to Maine with ten to eleven hours of darkness of flying. I would need to feed heavily before I left as I was not expecting Sookie to feed me. I would consider myself lucky to get an invitation into her home or for her to even speak to me.

After I had packed a bag for my trip, I headed to Fangtasia to gorge myself on the disgusting blood of the humans that flocked there every night. I fed on five humans and went over everything once more with Pam. I knew that she would be able to handle any situation that arose. She’d never let me down. Through our bond, I could feel how relieved she was that I was leaving. She had had enough of my moodiness very quickly once I returned from Nevada, and hoped that whatever I found out from this trip would resolve my feelings for Sookie, and then I would be better for business. Of course, when I first arrived she was concerned over the torture I had been through. She hadn’t known what was happening to me because I was blocking our bond so that she wouldn’t feel any of my pain. It only took me two hours to do everything I needed before I took off into the night.

I couldn’t risk driving or flying in an airplane to Maine. With either, I could be followed or traced. I knew I had been followed every time I left Fangtasia in my car once I had gotten back from Nevada. Therefore, I flew from home to Fangtasia every night and on the occasion that I went anywhere else, I would take my car and let them follow me. The only thing I was hiding were my safe houses and what I believed to be Sookie’s location.

My first night I flew as far as to the border of Kentucky and Virginia. It was invigorating to be able to fly and not think about a thing. The next night I flew to Boston. I wasn’t really sure what Sookie could feel in our bond when I was blocking her, but I didn't want her to wake up and feel that I was close by, and then run.  I would rise tomorrow night and head for Rockland. It should only take a little over an hour to get there.  As I was getting ready to die for the day, I lay there scrutinizing the bond I shared with Sookie.  She was close. I knew I would find her tomorrow night. I died for the day with a smile on my face knowing that tomorrow I’d be face to face with my Sookie.

I rose and immediately felt Sookie in our bond. She was still in the same location, so she must not be able to feel where I was at this far away or with the bond blocked. I quickly took a shower and dressed in black jeans, t-shirt, boots, and my leather jacket. I pulled my hair back into a low ponytail and tied it with a leather cord.

I couldn’t help but fly as fast as possible to where I felt Sookie. After flying for about an hour, I found myself over a small town. I located her in a grocery store, so I quickly flew a few hundred feet away, hovered by some trees, and waited for her to come out. I didn’t want her to spot me, or to find a ‘void’ as she called it, following her.

Once she came out of the grocery store, I watched her load everything into her car, the same piece of shit car she had in Louisiana. I couldn't believe it had made it this far! Maybe someday she’d let me buy her a new car. Doubtful. I followed far behind her so that she wouldn’t pick me up with her telepathy, and I watched as she made a trip inside until I decided I couldn’t wait any longer. I went to stand by the open trunk to wait. She walked out, and it was the first time since I’d spotted her that I truly allowed myself to look at her. She was so beautiful. Her body was curvier than I remembered and she had a glow about her.

Simply stunning.

Sookie looked up once she had come down the steps, and when she spotted me, she froze. After a few moments, she took a hesitant step forward, and then paused.

“Eric?” she said, and then gasped, clutched her stomach, and graced me with a beautiful smile.

My gaze traveled to her slender arms wrapped around her stomach, and for a moment, time froze. Her stomach had an unfamiliar small, round bump. Almost as if she were…

“Sookie?”

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

SPOV: April

“Eric?” I said, but right at that moment I felt the baby kick for the first time. I couldn’t believe it! It was just this tiny little movement, but it was the most amazing thing so far in my life, and Eric was there, standing right in front of me! I blinked a few times, thinking that I might have been hallucinating. I had given up on ever seeing Eric again, but there he was, right in front of me with the most confused look on his face.

“Sookie?” I heard him say.

I walked over to stand in front of him, but Eric just stood there, staring at me. I had never seen him act that way. I remembered the rest of my groceries in the trunk of my car, decided that I should get them out, and put them away. Once I had everything out of the trunk and was on my way back inside, I looked over my shoulder at Eric. He was still just standing there.

“Eric? Are you okay?” I asked him. I was starting to get concerned. He looked up at my face and gave a stiff nod. “Well, if you’re okay, could you help me get these groceries inside the house?”

That seemed to finally bring Eric back from wherever he’d gone. He quickly walked up, took all the bags out of my hands with one of his, and opened the front door with the other. Once I stepped over the threshold, I invited Eric into my house. He actually looked relieved once I had given him the invitation. Did he think I wouldn’t let him in? There had only been one time that I had rescinded his invitation and that was after Jackson. I had been through too much back then and just needed to be by myself for awhile. Ever since then he had always had an open invitation into my home.

Eric followed me into the kitchen and sat the bags down next the other ones I had previously brought in. I started taking everything out and putting them away. Eric walked over to the table, sat down, and stared at his hands while I put my groceries away in silence.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Once I had everything put away, I walked over and sat across from Eric. I sat there looking at him for a few moments, but he continued looking at his hands. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. It had been five months from the time when we had last seen each other. Not once had Eric ever acted like this in all the time I’d known him.

“Are you okay?  You’re starting to really worry me,” I asked him. I could feel the concern etched on my face.

Eric looked up at me and it looked as if he was searching my face for something. What I didn’t know. Finally, all he said was, “Yes,” and then he continued to stare at me for a long moment.

“You’re pregnant,” he said. A statement. No question about it.

“Yes,” I answered and kept quiet for a minute. “I knew you would jump to conclusions about me being pregnant, but I never thought you’d have this reaction.”

Eric snapped his eyes to lock onto mine. “Do you have a human or a shifter now as your lover?” He spit out each word bitterly as he said them.

“What?! No, I don’t have anyone! First of all, I don’t want one, and secondly, even if I did, I’m sure it’s not very easy to date while pregnant. Plus I’m not exactly looking my best here!” I glared at him. What the hell was wrong with him!

“Is this the real reason you left?” He said, and then pointed at me.

“No! How dare you, Eric Northman! I told you why I left. I found out I was pregnant just a couple of days before I was going to head back to Bon Temps!” I yelled at him.

Eric glared at me, and then it hit me. I knew that if I had returned that Eric would believe I had been cheating on him. I also knew that he would never want me again, which was obvious by the way he was glaring at me.

“Am I that repulsive to you? Stop looking at me that way.”

Eric shook his head. “You’re not repulsive. You are and always have been very beautiful.”

“Then why were you glaring at me as if you want to kill me?”

“I‘ve never wanted to kill you,” he said, but I arched an eyebrow at him knowing that statement was a lie. “All right, that’s not true, but it has been a very long time since I’ve wanted to kill you. I only wanted to kill you once, when you wouldn’t tell me what happened when I had amnesia. I had all these feelings, and I didn’t understand why they were so much more intense than they were before I was cursed.  However, I knew even then that I could never kill you. It would hurt me too much for you to die," he replied and I knew he was telling the truth.

“I just can’t believe that you’re pregnant and that you cheated on me,” he was back to glaring at me again. I didn’t need the bond to know that he was extremely pissed.

“I didn’t cheat on you, you asshole! I was raped!” I yelled at him once again from across the table.

Eric was visibly shocked by my revelation, but now I was pissed and hurt that he would think I would cheat on him. Although everyone knows that vampires cannot procreate, I could see why he would think that. Anyone would, still, I had thought he knew me better than that.

“You were raped. When? Why didn’t you tell me? I’ll kill whoever did this to you!” He stood up, and started pacing back and forth through the kitchen.

“He’s already dead, Eric. I didn’t tell you because we never really discussed what happened when the fairies tortured me. I didn’t want to talk about it, and I was waiting for you to tell my why you didn’t save me.”

Eric stopped in front of me and dropped to his knees. He cradled my face between both of his hands. I gasped at how close Eric was.  I'd forgotten how much he could affect me when he was close to me this way. I looked into his deep blue eyes and saw that they were rimmed with red. I had never seen the real Eric so vulnerable before.  

“I am so sorry. I had no idea. I would give anything for none of that to have happened to you.” I nodded. I would too. “Why didn’t you come back to Louisiana? Because you’re pregnant?” I nodded once more.

“I couldn’t go back to Bon Temps where everyone already thinks I’m crazy and for them to now think I’m a whore. I don’t want my baby growing up around those kinds of people.  I knew you would think I cheated on you and would want nothing to do with me.”

“Because we never talked about what happened with the fairies I would have assumed you had been with someone else, but I would have listened to you, allowed you to explain to me  _eventually_. We have a bond, Sookie, and I can tell when you are being honest with me. It’s true that if you had been unfaithful to me that I wouldn’t want a relationship with you, but I will  _always_  protect you, no matter what.”

“Speaking of our bond, why can’t I feel you? All I’ve been able to feel is your life force inside of me ever since I stopped taking the potion.”

Eric let go of my face and walked back over to the chair where he was previously seated. “I’m blocking it. I’ve been blocking it for a couple of days now. I didn’t want you to feel that I was getting closer to you and run.”

“I wouldn’t run from you,” I told him honestly. “I may have been expecting you if I could feel you, but I wouldn’t have run. I didn’t come back because I knew you wouldn’t want me anymore, and I didn’t want to raise a baby in Bon Temps.  I don’t want my child to be raised hearing negative, terrible things about his or her mother, and it is very possible that this baby could be telepathic. I don’t want my baby being treated the way I have been treated my whole life.”

“You shouldn’t have assumed I would want nothing to do with you. You should have come and talked to me.”

“Probably, but my head wasn’t in the right place at the time. I didn’t even know if there was an ‘us’ anymore.”

“I don’t understand why you would think that,” he said with furrowed brows, and I could see that he really didn’t understand.

I sighed, unsure if I wanted to get into this with him right now. “Do you really want to have this conversation right now?”

“Yes, I do.  After having read your note I’ve been wondering what you meant by ‘if we even have a relationship or where we are in it.’”

“This is some profound conversation for us to be having first thing,” Here I thought I would never see Eric again, and now we were going to begin on a serious topic. I was unaccustomed to something of this nature with Eric. We never seemed to discuss the topics that were most significant for us, and especially not when considering where our relationship stood. Those were the most important things we needed to discuss.

“Did you want to make small talk?  I think this is an essential conversation we need to have, not discussing it is just putting off the inevitable.”

“So _now_ you’re ready to talk to me. Are you finally ready to answer my questions?”

“I’ll answer anything you ask me.”

“Are you sure about that?” Before, whenever I would ask him, he would always say that he would tell me when I was ready.  I never understood that.  If I hadn’t been ready, then I wouldn’t have asked.

“Do not doubt me.  If I say I will answer you, then I will.” Eric’s accent had become more pronounced with every word, and he’d dropped his contractions.  That was his “tell,” and that let me know he was getting emotional, something that rarely happened with him.

“Okay! No need to get all huffy. It’s just that I’ve asked you these questions in the past and I’ve yet to get an answer out of you, so I’m sorry if I’m a little skeptical.”

“I have had nothing but time to think while you’ve been gone.  You also mentioned in your letter that I didn’t want to give you answers to things that are important between us.”

“You’re ready to do that now?” I asked him still wondering if he really would.

“Yes.  I do not want you to run away again.  I have learned from my mistakes.”

“Let’s go into the living room where we will be more comfortable talking,” I said and he gave me a curt nod.

Eric followed me into the living room. Once I sat down on the couch, he sat down right beside me, not leaving any space between us.  I moved as far away from him as I could and still be on the couch.  I turned my body toward him and Eric followed, doing the same.

“I want to begin by talking about our bond. You know that I’ve always thought our bond was making me feel things that were not really there,” he nodded.  “While I was taking the potion, I realized that I do love you even with the bond gone,” Eric smiled and took one of my hands in his. I thought about pulling it away, but decided not to, not yet.  “Can you explain to me how the bond really works?”  He nodded once again.

“As you know a vampire must exchange blood with a human three times before a bond occurs, and then it is permanent,” It was my turn to nod.  “It is a very rare occurrence that a vampire will bond themselves to a human,” I raised an eyebrow at this. “Vampires do not want humans to know their emotions and the emotions they receive from their bonded are much stronger than when there is only a blood tie.”

“Couldn’t the vampire just block the bond all the time the way you’re doing to me?”

“I am sure they could, and I am sorry about blocking the bond.  You never seemed to want to feel it before. Do you want me to open up the bond to you?”

“Yes.  I think it will be helpful,” I said, and then felt the bond start to slowly open.  All I could feel was Eric’s anger.

“Sookie, I have never lied to you. _Never_. I am not about to start now,” I felt his honesty through the bond, but time would tell. He’s never wanted to answer these questions, not that we always had time.  It always seemed as if something was coming up and getting in our way, like someone wanting to kill me.

“I’m sorry. You have always been truthful with me,” I said, nodding my head and Eric always had been.  Even when the truth would hurt, he would tell me. “Although when it came to us it was always hard to get answers from you.”

“I will try to change that… I  _am_  changing that. I cannot make you feel things. If you try and stop resisting our bond, and concentrate on it, you will be able to identify your feelings and mine. They are separate, but I can push certain feelings to you to help you.  For example, if you are scared I can push confidence to you or calmness, but you will be able to tell that it is coming from an outside influence and may choose whether or not you let it influence how you feel. I will only do this when it is needed. The first time I did this was when we were in Rhodes and you were standing up at the trial.  I pushed my strength and confidence to you.”

“I remember that.  Normally I can tell when you’re coming near because of the bond.  I get a feeling of happiness and peace. Why is that if it is not making me feel things?”

“Have you ever felt happy or calm when you knew that I was coming and you didn’t want to see me?”  I shook my head.  “Then could it possibly be that you were just feeling that way because you truly wanted to see me?”

I thought about it for a minute before Eric interrupted my thinking. “The bond lets you know that I’m coming near even subconsciously.  I think that if you didn’t fight it, then you would understand it better,” I glared at him.  “Still, I should have explained all of this to you before now. I’ve always wanted you to be happy with our bond.”

“Is that all?  Concerning our bond,” I felt hesitation coming from him. There was something he didn’t want to tell me.  “What aren’t you telling me?”

He chuckled, “See? You are already reading the bond better than before,” He said and I just stared, willing him to continue. Eric sighed and ran one of his hands through his hair before continuing.  “Another reason why vampires do not bond to humans is their short life expectancy. When the vampire’s bonded dies, the vampire will eventually meet the sun.”

I gasped.  Meet the sun?  Why?  “Why, Eric?  Why would they do that?  Why would you?”

“As I told you before it is very rare for a vampire to bond themselves to a human.  A vampire only bonds him or herself to a human they plan on turning or someone they care very deeply about. For the vampire, it is extremely devastating for them when their bonded dies. The hole that is left when the bond is no longer there eventually leads them to meet the sun.”

I sat there stunned for I don’t know how long before I could finally talk.  “Why would you do this? Did you know this when you bonded yourself to me?”

“I knew.  Why do you think, Sookie?  I have always cared about you.”

“But to bind your life with mine?  I’m a magnet for danger and I could die at any moment.  You couldn’t possibly care that much.  Again, why would you do this? Why did Andre want to?”

“I think about your mortality quite often, and I believe Andre wanted to bond himself to you because he was planning on turning you.  When a vampire has a bond with the human they turn beforehand, they will always be together.  I’m sure Sophie Anne and Andre were counting on your telepathy staying with you once you were turned.”

“I’m glad he’s finally dead then.  I never even wanted to be in the same room with him, let alone be stuck with him for an eternity.”

“Yes, that is why I could not let him bond to you.  Andre was not known for being a kind vampire.  Plus, eventually he would have found some way to punish me for interfering in the corridor that night.”

“I can’t believe you did all that for me.  Seriously, what were you thinking?”

“At the time I wasn’t thinking.  All I knew was that you were scared, and I couldn’t let Andre bind himself to you.”

“Do you regret bonding with me?”  I asked him, afraid of his answer.  I still couldn’t believe what he was telling me.

“I have never regretted it,” he said with conviction.

“We’ll talk more about this another time.  Now, how about this pledging business?  Why couldn’t you tell me what was going on? What does it all mean?”

“I didn’t really have time to tell you what was happening. I didn’t want Bobby to tell you or write you a note.  Truthfully, I thought if you knew ahead of time then you wouldn’t have gone through with it.  I only found out about DeCastro’s plan to take you to Vegas when there was only an hour of daylight left.  I still had the ceremonial knife from Rhodes, so I had Bobby deliver it to you.”

“What does it mean?”

“We are pledged.  We are married to one another.  It’s just like when you saw the King of Mississippi marry the King of Indiana, only we will be married until one of us dies, unless you divorce me.  No one can take you away from me, and DeCastro must ask my permission for any services he wants of yours. Of course, since he’s my king I have to oblige, but I can demand that I accompany you and other matters related to your safety.”

“So we can get a divorce?” He nodded. “Do you plan on divorcing me?” He shook his head. “How many times have you been married in all your life?”

“Before this, just the once when I was human and that was not of my choosing. You are the only wife I have chosen.”

“That may be the case, but I didn’t choose to marry you. I had no clue what was going on. Didn’t you think about how I would feel about this or react to it?”

Eric turned and looked straight ahead. I felt a brief touch of sadness when I had said that I didn’t choose to marry him, but it was quickly locked away.

“Again, I wasn’t thinking too clearly at the time, which I seem to do quite often concerning you.  I knew you wouldn’t be happy with Victor showing up on your doorstep and carting you off to Vegas permanently. I only wanted you to stay and be happy.”

“Thank you,” I said to him. Eric turned back to me and I felt that he was surprised by me thanking him. “I don’t think I’ve ever realized all that you’ve done for me, especially knowing now how dangerous it was for you to do them.”

“If I would have asked you to pledge yourself to me, what would you have said?” Eric asked me. I could feel that he genuinely wanted to know my answer.

“I don’t know," I replied, looking down at my hands. "If you said we have to get married tonight, that night, I probably would have said no.  If you had asked me while we were out at dinner or some other setting, I would have said I needed to think about it at the time. We hadn’t been together for very long, but Eric, whenever I’ve thought about being married it was never for a political move or so I wouldn’t get kidnapped. Most girls want to be married for love, not for any other reason.”

“I want you to know that I wouldn’t have pledged myself to you if I didn’t want it.  It was not a political move for me.  It was to keep you with me, to keep you safe.  I know that you don’t count our pledging as us being married, but I would like you to think of this as a real marriage with me as your husband and you as my wife.”

“You know, most of the time before a person gets married, they are asked and there are rings, not just a knife getting passed around.”

“Yes, I know in human marriages a knife isn’t passed around. If I asked you to marry me and got you a ring, is that all it would take for you to consider this a real marriage?”

"It would be a start. Eric, you know I like to have a choice, so you should have known I wouldn’t like you marrying me without me even knowing it.”

“I figured it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. I couldn’t ask you while you were off living in Vegas. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you,” Eric grabbed both of my hands in one of his and looked me right in the eyes. “Will you marry me, Sookie Stackhouse, and be the only wife that I have ever chosen?”

When I mentioned him asking me I didn’t think he would ask me tonight. I looked down at our joined hands and back up to his face again and then back down to our hands. Eric’s whole right hand was a light pink color, and there were no fingernails on his hand. I pulled my hands free of his and grabbed his left hand.  It was as white as ever with fingernails.

“Eric, what happened to your hand?  Why is it pink?  And you have no fingernails,” I asked him with concern.  I couldn’t possibly imagine what could be wrong with his hand.  Was he dying?  Did he have Sino-AIDS?  I felt Eric tense before he took his hands back and put them into his lap.  I quickly grabbed his hand back to look at it. I knew I wouldn’t be able to take it if he wouldn’t allow me, but let me continue my inspection.

“We were having such a good conversation. Let’s not talk about that tonight.”

“A good conversation? You call what we’ve been talking about a good conversation? It must really be bad then. Are you dying?” I asked as tears welled up in my eyes.

“I’m not dying. I promise you. It is getting late and you should get some sleep.  You need to sleep for the baby," he said as he looked down at my stomach. "We can talk more about this another time.”

“I want to talk about it now,” he shook his head, and I could feel that he was determined not to talk about it anymore tonight. “How long are you going to be here?  I want to know what’s going on.”

“I should‘ve known you would notice,” he said, looking down at his hands, and then turned to look at me. “I will be here for another two nights. It took me two nights to fly here.  I can only be gone a week before too many questions will start to be asked about where I am. I will be back tomorrow night if you are not working.”

“I’m not working. I have tomorrow off and I only work during the day now.”

“Then I will be back just after dark tomorrow night.” Eric stood and headed toward the front door.

“Where are you staying?” I asked, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. 

“In the ground. I can’t risk any vampires seeing me here. If it is all right with you, may I use your backyard?”

“You’re going to ground?” He nodded his head while I worried my lip. “I have a basement here.  We can make sure it’s light tight and you can stay here. It will be much safer.”

“Sookie, for many centuries I went to ground every night. I will be safe,” he said as he looked down at me.

“I’m sure you will be, but...  Do you not want to stay here?”

“That’s not it,” he said while taking my hand in his. “Will you be comfortable with me staying here?” He asked me.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

Eric just shrugged. “I don’t want you uncomfortable, and I want you to know I wasn’t planning on staying here. I only came to find you and hoped that you would talk to me. I never expected any of this.”

“Well, this is definitely not how I saw my night playing out either, but I’m happy to see you. Come on, let me show you to the basement. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s better than being in the ground.”

I stopped off at the hallway closet to gather up some blankets and a pillow. Eric chuckled at me but said nothing. I knew he didn’t need any of it, but I wanted to think of Eric as being comfortable while he slept for the day. We walked silently to the basement door and down the stairs.  I looked around to find the best spot to make Eric’s bed.  I picked the right hand corner of the basement and set it up.  

“Make yourself at home.  I know you have a while until dawn.  I have cable in the living room or you can do whatever," I shrugged. "I’m sorry I don’t have any TruBlood. Do you need me to get some for you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be fine Sookie.  Thank you.  You didn’t have to do any of this.  I don’t need you to get any TruBlood.  I should be fine until I get back to Louisiana.” I was instantly jealous thinking about who he would be feeding from when he got back.  I noticed a raised eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything about my jealousy.

“You’re welcome. We’re not done talking though, buddy. If you want to be in a real relationship with me, then there’s plenty to talk about and figure out.”

“I agree. Good night, Sookie,” Eric said and he leaned down to kiss me on the forehead.

“Good night, Eric.”  

I slowly walked back up the stairs, and then into my bedroom.  While getting ready for bed I thought about all Eric had told me tonight and we still weren’t done.  What could possibly be wrong with his hand?

It didn’t take me long to fall asleep.  One thing about being pregnant was I never had a hard time going to sleep. Unfortunately, I had to pee all the time so I woke up around 5:00 am with an intense need to use the restroom.  When I opened up my eyes, I swore I saw Eric standing in my doorway, but after I wiped my eyes and looked back, no one was there.

Surely, Eric wasn’t standing there, was he?  Why would he do that?

I used the restroom and got back into bed.  If tomorrow night was anything like tonight, it should be very interesting, but wasn't that always the way with vampires?

 


	5. Chapter 5

**EPOV:  April**

I rose at my usual time, about an hour before sunset in Sookie’s damp basement. The lack of her scent in the basement told me that up until last night, she didn’t come down here frequently. I was quite surprised with the reception I got last night. I thought it would take more work for Sookie to talk to me, let alone be invited to her house, but here I was.

Pregnant.

Sookie was pregnant. Knowing now that those sick, fucking fairies had raped her… I would never forgive myself for not havingbeen able to save her. I now understood why she didn’t tell me what they had done to her. If only I had told her immediately why I couldn’t and wasn’t able to get to her, then maybe she wouldn’t have been gone all these months. Maybe she would have forgiven me and talked to me. Maybe she wouldn’t have run away, but there was nothing either one of us could do about it now except perhaps learn from all the mistakes we had made in the past.

I heard the front door open, and then close and Sookie’s footsteps throughout the house. I still had another forty minutes before I could go upstairs. Sookie called out to me.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you got up. I’ll be right down as soon as I put this casserole in the oven,” I listened to Sookiemoving around in the kitchen, opening and closing the refrigerator, and then the oven door. Ever since I rose for the night Sookie had been feeling dispirited. Was she regretting letting me in last night?

Sookie headed into her bedroom for a few minutes before coming downstairs. When her eyes landed on mine, she tried to smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” she told me again.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You could wait for me upstairs if you want. I’ll be up as soon as the sun sets.”

“I already feel like such a bad hostess. Last night I went to bed leaving you with nothing to do and no TruBlood. I’m not leaving you down here when you can’t even leave.”

“It’s fine, Sookie,” I stepped over to her and walked us over to the stairs to sit down since there was nowhere to sit, other than the floor or on my little pallet.

“Would you like to tell me why you’re sad today?” I asked her once we sat down.

“It’s stupid,” she said while shaking her head. “How’d you sleep?” she asked while gesturing toward my makeshift bed.

“Like the dead. Are you upset that I’m here? I will leave once the sun is down if you wish.”

“No! No. It’s nothing like that. I told you it was stupid. Nothing can be done about it. Don’t worry, it’s wasn’t anything about you.”

“I’m relieved to know you don’t regret me being here, but I still want to know what makes you feel this way,” I said.

Sookie sighed and looked across the room at nothing. “I pretty much can’t fit into any of my work clothes anymore. Today I had to use a rubber band in the loop that the buttons are supposed to go into so my pants wouldn’t be wide open. I’m getting fat, and I’m only going to get fatter,” she said, and then pouted a little.

“You’re not getting fat,” Sookie gave me a disbelieving look, but I continued. “You’re getting round with child. That is what your body is supposed to do. It’s a beautiful thing,” I wished I could have given her this, but we would never be able to have biological children together. This was one of the few things that I could have never provided her.

“How is it that can you say such nice things to me and still be sad?” she asked me.

“Something for us to discuss another time,” We already had too much to talk about, let alone my telling her how I wished I was the child’s father. I didn’t know how she would react, not now with so much up in the air between us.

“We sure are coming up with quite the list of things to talk about,” she giggled. “It may take till the baby is a year-old for us to discuss everything.”

“I’m certain that we’ll get through most of it before I need to leave. Everything may not be settled, but we’ll eventually get to what’s on that list of yours.”

The buzzer went off on the oven, and I told Sookie that I’d be up in a few minutes when the sun was down. After I put on my socks and shoes, I headed upstairs. I was not looking forward to what Sookie wanted to discuss tonight. I knew she was would become very distraught when I told her of my punishment for not being able to deliver her to DeCastro. Sookie was sitting at the kitchen table eating something that looked positively vile and had a cup filled with what looked like milk. Also on the table was a warmed bottle of TruBlood. I sat down at the table and picked up the TruBlood, raising an eyebrow with my silent question.

“I know you said you would be fine, but it made me feel like a terrible hostess to not have anything for you. I didn’t want you just sitting there, watching me eat with nothing for you,” I nodded, understanding that being a good hostess had been ingrained in her by her grandmother.

“So, will you please tell me what happened with your hand?” She set her fork down and pointed at my hand. I could feel her worry for me. Although I hated that she was worrying about me, I relished in being able to feel her emotions once again, even if it was only for a few days. It was something I hoped to be able to change. Soon.

“We will talk about it, but I think it would be best to wait until after dinner. What did you do today?” She glared at me for a moment before eating another bite, but didn’t argue.

“I cleaned the house, ran some errands, and went to yoga class.”

“Yoga?”

“Do you know what yoga is?”

“I do. Why are you doing it?”

“I read that it would easier to recover after having the baby if I exercised throughout my pregnancy. At first, I just got a DVD and did it at home, but then I found a class for pregnant women. I wanted to do something different and to make sure I was doing it right. I found that I really liked going to the class with all the other pregnant women. It’s nice to be around other people when I’m not working.”

“It‘s good you found something you like and that you’re taking care of your body. Do you not have any friends here?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “No, I didn’t want to have to explain my situation to anyone and if no one knew anything about me if someone came looking for me they wouldn’t have anything to say. Soon I won’t be alone though,” she said, placing her hand on top of her stomach.

I wanted to tell her sooner than she thought, but Sookie could be very stubborn. We had so much to talk about while I was here and I didn’t want her shutting down on me before she knew everything. I knew she would be upset, but she needed to hear everything so she could make her own decisions and determine just what she wanted. I hoped that it would be me.

We sat in silence while Sookie finished her dinner and I finished my TruBlood. I knew she needed to eat, and I had a feeling that if we started talking about things now that they would be too upsetting and she wouldn’t be able to eat.

Once she was done, Sookie cleaned up the kitchen all the while keeping her back to me. I could feel her nervousness over our upcoming conversation. Hell, I was nervous that she might never want anything to do with me, ever again, afterward.

“Should we go back into the living room to talk tonight?” she asked, bringing me back to the here and now. I nodded my head and stood to go into the living room. I sat down on the couch and this time Sookie sat closer to me than she did last night, not close enough for my liking, but I was not going to push her.

“Why are you so nervous? You’re really starting to freak me out. Is it really that bad?” she asked.

I shrugged, “None of it is good. I only hope that once you hear why I couldn’t be the one to save you that you’ll forgive me one day. I didn’t tell you in the hospital because we didn’t have time, and then afterward I wanted you to heal. I could feel how terribly hurt you were that I didn’t tell you, but I thought I had more time. I should have told you and maybe you would have stayed.”

“I wouldn’t have stayed. I couldn’t control my shields and hearing Amelia, Sam, and Alcide’s thoughts was not helping. I probably should have talked to you about it though,” she confessed.

“You could have stayed at my house to get away from their thoughts. You’ll always have an open invitation to my home. I meant it when I asked you to stay with me. I only wish I had been more insistent, perhaps then the fairies wouldn’t have gotten you.”

“Maybe, but let’s not keep thinking about the ‘what if’s.’ What’s done is done and we can only move forward.”

“Very true,” We sat in silence for a few minutes looking at each other. I knew we had to have this talk tonight if I ever wanted Sookie to be mine again. I felt as if I’d lost her and now I had to win her back, but the only way to do that was to hurt her with what I was about to tell her.

“We can’t just sit and look at each other all night. Come on, Eric, I need this. I need to know why you weren’t there,” I could see and feel her pain when she said this. I took a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair.

“Bill called to let me know you had been taken. I knew something was happening, but I couldn’t tell what. The bond was going in and out, and I believe that was when they were teleporting you. I called Niall for him to help us as he was the only one I knew who could teleport. Earlier, Victor Madden was at Fangtasia for an unscheduled meeting and when I tried to leave, I was told that I was not permitted to leave… I wasn’t allowed to take a side in the Fae war. I was chained to the wall in my office with silver,” Sookie’s eyes widened and she took my hand in hers.

“Pam was not silvered, and eventually she convinced the guards to permit her call the King. She explained that we were pledged and you were promised protection. DeCastro ordered that I be let loose,” I hung my head, not wanting to tell her anything more, but I knew it had to be done. “I knew that once I made it to you, there would be a war. To regain my strength after being silvered I had to feed on a donor. I would not have otherwise,” I quickly added. “I hope you know that. I have alwaysbeen faithful to you in all ways. Ever since you left, I have had to feed from several donors, but I will explain that later.” I felt her hurt and jealousy, but then it quickly turned into acceptance.

“I understand, Eric. I would never deny you the need to feed in times of battle or death.  There had to be something else. Something more. Did they do more to you than just silver you to the wall?”

“They did not,” I replied.

“Then tell me. What else would have made you weak enough to need a donor?”

I took both her hands into one of mine and looked her in the eyes. “I hurt with you; I bled with you, Sookie. I felt everything you felt. I sent you all the strength that I could, and I took as much of the pain away that I possibly could through our bond. I felt how much you wanted me there … how much you wanted to die in the end,” my voice faltered at the memory of that night. “If I could have been there I would have. To know that I couldn’t save you, and then to see what they had done to you. I knew theareas where you were hurt, but to see them, and now to know that they raped you….”

Sookie reached up and wiped away the tears that I didn’t even know had fallen. Tears were trailing down her face, but she wanted to take care of me. She wrapped her arms around me, and hugged me. We both sat there holding one another and wept. No one had ever seen me so vulnerable.

Fucking feelings.

I rubbed Sookie’s back and hair hoping to help calm her. After a few minutes, she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

“Let me get a washcloth to clean up our faces. I’ll be right back.”

I nodded. I wasn’t going anywhere. That had gone much better than I thought it would, at least on her end. Sookie soon returned after having washed her face and proceeded to wipe away my bloody tears. After getting rid of the bloodstained washcloth, Sookie was back sitting next to me and she placed her hand on my leg, and gave it a little squeeze.

“I wish you would have told me this sooner. You have no idea the thoughts I had as to why you didn’t come,” I raised my eyebrow at her. “I thought that maybe you no longer cared about me, that you were getting tired of me because you had finally won me. Hell, one theory was that you were with some fangbanger. I had no idea, but as you can see my thoughts did not paint you in a very good light, yet you were silvered during that time,” she paused, hung her head in shame, and sniffed. “Even though you couldn’t come to help me, you did. In your own way, you did. Even when you were already suffering, you took my pain. You … felt my pain. Why didn’t you shut down the bond so you couldn’t feel me?”

“I can withstand pain. I knew the pain would end, but, if for some reason you couldn’t be saved, I wasn’t going to let you die alone. I needed to feel you and give you my strength.  I wanted to be there for you in any way I could. I wouldn’t block the bond. I’ll always take as much pain for you as I possibly can,” I wiped away the new tears that had trailed down her face once more.

“I’m grateful that you finally told me,” she cupped my face in her hands and her eyes softened. “There’s nothing for me to forgive. I know you would have come if you were able. You helped in all the ways that you possibly could at the time. I understand. You don’t need to feel guilty,” I started to look down at her swollen belly, but she pulled my face up to look at hers. “I have accepted this pregnancy and I have chosen  _not_  to dwell on how a psychotic fairy raped and tortured me for the rest of my life. I will love my baby so I never want you to feel guilty about it.”

“Thank you for that. It’s difficult to not feel guilt when it is my job to protect you.”

“It’s not your job to protect me!” she scoffed.

“You are my bonded, my wife, and my mate. It  _is_  my job. If you could protect me I know you would try.”

“Of course I would,” she replied instantly.

“Why would you protect me?” I asked her.

“Because I love you,” she said, and I could feel her love for me, something I had never felt before I had met Sookie. It amazed me every time I felt it.

“Exactly,” I said to her.

I could feel her skepticism. She may have thought that I’d never told her I loved her, but she would be wrong. I’d told her many times, but only in my native tongue. I knew Sookie was uncertain of her feelings for me, blaming the bond on them, but I had known that she loved me ever since my curse ended. I couldn’t tell her that I loved her and have her reject me as she had with our bond and pledging. I couldn’t take the thought of Sookie rejecting me again. Sookie could feel my irritation at her not believing me.

“Let’s not fight about this. I don’t want to fight with you,” she told me, and then grabbed my right hand. “Now tell what is wrong with your hand.”

“There is nothing  _wrong_  with my hand.”

“I thought we were going to talk about this,” she let go of my hand and sighed.

“We were discussing it, but there is nothing wrong with it. It’s perfectly fine. So good, it’s …  _new_ ,” I told her. We sat in silence for a few moments while Sookie looked at my hand, turning it and looking at it, this way and that. I wasn’t able to grasp what she was feeling. There were too many emotions running through her. Finally they settled on what I would describe as horror. She gripped my hand tightly, and then dropped it.

“Your hand looks this way because it’s new,” she said, looking me in the eyes.

“Yes,” I said quietly.

“Why is it new? What happened? No more stalling, tell me what happened,” Sookie demanded.

Sookie was the only person, alive or dead, who could speak to me that way. No one else would dare, and yet she had no qualms about it.

“It was punishment. Everything else has healed; the only things left are my fingernails. In a month or so the pink should be gone too.”

“What do you mean everything else has healed? There was more? Why were you punished?” She asked. Shock, concern, and dread filled our bond.

“There was more punishment. I was punished by my King,” I was trying to give her answers that would appease her so she wouldn’t know the full extent, but I should have known that she wouldn’t let go.

“DeCastro did this to you?”

“Not personally,” I replied.

“Why, Eric? Why did you get punished?”

“This will only upset you further, but know that I’m fine now, almost fully-healed except for the fingernails.”

“I’m upset now, and I can tell you don’t want to talk about it, so it must be bad. Please just tell me,” she pleaded.

“I was punished for not being able to deliver you to my King. He wanted to use your services, I told him you were healing, and could not work. After a month of excuses, he sent his guards for me. When I still wouldn’t tell him where you were, I was held for two months. They tortured me to try to get the information out of me.”

Tears were now streaming down her face. The bond was filled with a staggering amount of guilt and shame.

“What else? I know you’re holding back still. Just tell me the rest. Please, I have to know it all. If we’re to ever have a real relationship, we have to be honest with each other.”

“I was beaten, stabbed, had my hand cut off, my toes removed, held in a silver-lined cell with only a chair to sit on, and only given one TruBlood a week,” I told her all of it, barely above a whisper.

By the time I was done, I had pulled Sookie into my lap. She was sobbing uncontrollably. I was stroking her back and hair while speaking in my native tongue in the hope that it would soothe her. After ten minutes or so, she calmed down some. She was still crying, but she was no longer sobbing. I didn’t think I had ever felt Sookie so upset before, not even after I couldn’t remember our time together or when she found out about the true reason Bill was in Bon Temps. Sookie’s arms were tightly wrapped around my neck and between her ragged breaths; she repeatedly told me how sorry she was.

“Sookie, I am fine. Even if I had known where you were, I wouldn’t have told them. I didn’t want to tell you. I knew it would hurt you, but I knew by not telling you, you wouldn’t trust me.”

“But you were hurt because of me,” she sobbed. “If I hadn’t left, nothing would have happened to you. All of this was my fault. I ran away from my problems and before that, I was too stubborn to come and stay with you and look where that got me. I’m so sorry.” Sookie buried her face in the crook of my neck and wrapped her body around me. “Please forgive me,” she said while she continued to cry.

“As you said, there is nothing to forgive. I understood that you needed to heal. We can’t change the past, but only learn from it. Know I will do anything to keep you safe and I’m not trying to be high-handed, I’m just trying to do what I think is best to make sure you’re safe. I’ve been alive for a very long time and, in matters of security, you should trust my judgment.” I told her while I held her in my arms.

“I will try,” she said with a nod. “I know I’m stubborn, and I know I’ve made some terrible decisions in the past, but I know I do need to be more careful now. It’s not just me anymore; I have a baby to think about now.”

I nodded against the top of her head while I continued stroking her hair and back.

“Speaking of the baby, you should probably get some sleep. Tonight has been stressful. We can talk some more before I have to leave tomorrow night.”

OoOoO

**SPOV**

Eric rose from the couch with me still attached to him. I began to panic over the fact that he would be leaving tomorrow night. When would I see him again? What was going to happen now?

“When will you have to leave tomorrow?” I asked as I detached myself from him. Immediately I felt the loss of being in his arms.

“A couple of hours after the sun goes down. I have a long way to fly. I’m sorry, I wish I could stay longer, but I’m sure there will already be questions as to my absence.”

I grabbed his hand and asked, “Will you come and lay down with me for a little while?” I was not ready to let him go yet. I already knew that when he left I would feel more alone than I had the entire time I’d been here.

“Are you sure you’ll be comfortable with that?” he asked while I led him back to my bedroom. I took him over to sit on my bed and told him I would be right back. As quickly as I could I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and used the restroom for what felt like the fiftieth time today. Going to the bathroom so often was definitely one downside to being pregnant! When Iwalked back in the bedroom, Eric was still sitting there, but he had taken off his shoes. I walked over to the left side of the bed, got in, rolled onto my side, and lifted the blankets for Eric to climb under.

“Would you rather not be in here?” I asked him. Never before had Eric hesitated to jump into bed with me, whether we were together or not.

“Of course I want to,” he said as he lay down beside me on his side. I snuggled up as close as I could to him, and lay my headon his chest. His shirt was wet from all of my tears.

“Your shirt’s all wet. If you take it off, I’ll wash it tomorrow before you leave.”

He chuckled. “You just want me to take off my shirt,” he said, and then sat himself up a little and took it off. I watched as his abs rippled and his pecs flexed.

God, it had been a long time! I didn’t think there was any other man on this planet that had a body as perfect as his. I caught myself reaching out to touch him, but stopped myself. Eric must have noticed out of the corner of his eye because he grabbed my hand and placed it right where his un-beating heart rested. I kept it there for a few moments while I took Eric in, wondering how I could have ever been so stupid. I was always wary of my feelings for him after the bond, but, if I had to be honest, I had known that I had been in love with Eric ever since he had had amnesia. It was easy to love that Eric, but I had feelings for the real Eric even before Jackson. He had done so much to protect me, to try and let me still be me while making himself look bad. I never wanted to do that to him again.

Finally, I let myself look and touch his shoulders, chest, and stomach, running my fingers over and feeling his cool, smooth skin over his sculpted muscles. I stopped once more over his heart and looked him in the eyes.

“You really are a very beautiful man. All of you,” I told him, tapping my fingers over his heart. Eric was quiet for a moment. I couldn’t distinguish what I was feeling from him, but I think I might have stunned him.

“Thank you,” was all he said. I snuggled back up to him, resting my head on his chest, my arm draped over his side and back while I trailed my fingers along his back. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me close. We were quiet for a few minutes just enjoying being in each other’s arms again.

“You’re happy,” I said. I was feeling happiness and contentment through the bond, more than I’d ever felt from him.

“Yes, in this moment, I am. You’re the first person since I became a vampire that has truly accepted me for who I am; the first to lay with me, to love me, to make love with me. The first of many things.”

“In a way it makes me feel very special to be the first for all those things, but then it also makes me sad for you. I can’t imagine how lonely you have had to have been to not have had those things. To have to hide who you were,” I said as tears welled upin my eyes.

“No more crying tonight,” he said softly and I nodded my head, willing my tears away. I was going to miss him when he left tomorrow. I hugged myself closer to Eric trying to push the sadness away, knowing I should be treasuring these moments while they lasted. “That’s why I felt that what we had was so special. In all my thousand years, I have never felt this way aboutanother. Jag älskar dig, min Sookie. Jag kommer göra det så länge jag är här på denna jord. (I love you, my Sookie. I will for as long as I walk this Earth.)”

“You know I have no idea what you’re saying, right?” I’d heard the beginning part before many times, but I still didn’t understand why he said whatever he was saying in some language I didn’t understand.

He chuckled, “I know. Someday you will. It’s getting late, Sookie. Please get some rest.”

“Okay, but will you stay here with me until I fall asleep?”

Eric nodded and held me tighter. “Good night, Sookie. I’ll see you when I rise.”

“Good night, Eric,” I said to him and snuggled up to him while he pulled the blankets up tucking them in around my shoulders.

* * *

 

Translations are from Google Translate.  I don’t know any Swedish so blame any mistakes on Google.


	6. Chapter 6

**EPOV: April**

I arose to the smell of sweet and salty tears, a soft warm body against mine, and the feeling of heartbreaking sorrow. I opened my eyes to see Sookie sitting next to me, tears streaming down her face. She was staring off at nothing in particular.

I turned on my side as I tried not to startle her and took her hand in mine. She looked down at our joined hands, and then started sobbing. I immediately sat up and pulled her into my lap, wrapping my arms around her.

“Sookie, what’s wrong?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine what could be wrong with her.  Carefully, I breathed in the air around me once more and didn’t detect that she was injured in any way, nor were there any unknown scents in the house.

“What’s got you this way, Sookie?”

“You’re leaving,” she whimpered.

“Please stop crying. You know how much I hate it when you cry,” I sighed and pulled her closer to me. I had no idea that she would take my leaving this way, but I would be lying if I said that a small part of me wasn’t satisfied.

She continued weeping in my arms and held me tighter as the minutes ticked by.

“Listen, Sookie, I don’t want to leave, but I must go back and that’s one thing that we need to discuss that we didn’t last night. I would like you to come back to Louisiana. I know that you can’t return with me tonight because I need to be back quickly,” I felt her nod against my chest. “It would not be very enjoyable for you to fly back with me,” I told her, and we both laughed a little.

“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered. I felt my heart swell at hearing her words. I never thought there would be a time when Sookie would actually be honest about her true feelings for me.

“I’ll miss you too,” I softly told her. “There’s something I need to discuss with you, and I want you to think about it seriously before you make any decisions.”

“Okay,” she looked up at me curiously while she wiped her tears away. “I will.”

“I would like you to live with me when you return,” Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock, but I continued. “You said that you didn’t want to go back to Bon Temps and have your child grow up in a town that always treated you as if were crazy. I have plenty of room for you and the baby, and once I get back, I’ll clean out a room for you to make into a nursery. Once you learn if the baby’s a boy or a girl, then we can decorate it. I’m sure Pam would be very excited for another reason to shop. She has never had the opportunity to go shopping for baby things.”

Sookie was quiet for a minute and I could feel how nervous she was. She was going to turn me down. I didn’t know what more I could to do to prove to this woman that I loved her, probably tell her I loved her in English, but didn’t my actions speak louderthan words? Could she not feel that I loved her?

“I have a question for you, and I’m not trying to make you mad or hurt your feelings. I just need to know. Please tell me the truth,” she said with determination. I nodded for her to continue. “I’m one-eighth fairy with the Essential Spark and that Thing was a full-blooded fairy, so that will make this baby, I don’t know, a whole lot more fairy than I am. This is where I don’t want you to get mad, okay?” I nodded once again. “Will you be able to control yourself around the baby with it being so much more fairy than me?”

I chuckled, and Sookie gave me an incredulous look. “Sookie, I am very old and will be able to control myself, so I don’t think it will be a problem. If I thought that your baby would smell so appetizing that I would want to feed from it, I wouldn’t have asked you to move in with me. Is that the only reason you wouldn’t want to live with me?”

“I thought it was a pretty good and logical reason, but what about Pam? Would she be able to control herself?”

“I don’t really think you have anything to worry about. I mean, you smell good, but it’s that you smell better than most humans. If someone attacks you, it’s because they want to, not because they have no control over themselves. If, for some reason, the baby smells so alluring that Pam cannot control herself then I will command her to not harm or take any blood from the baby.”

“I’m worried how vampires will act or behave around the baby. That’s another thing that had kept me away, but if you say that I have nothing to worry about, then I trust you. Are you certain you want me to live with you? A baby won’t be quiet. There will belots of crying, and some not so pleasant smells for you.”

“I’ll be fine, Sookie. I told you that I want to be your husband and for you to be my wife, and that simply will not be with almost two thousand miles between us. I want you in Shreveport with me as soon as you’re ready.”

“I think I would like that,” she said with a soft smile. I didn’t think I’d ever been more shocked by Sookie. I never thought it wouldbe so easy to get her to agree to live with me.

“Don’t be so surprised, Eric! I’m really trying to do the right thing and not be so willful . Everything you said made so much sense, and if we want to be married to each other we can’t live apart,” Sookie paused and looked pensive. “Could you be ready for me in three weeks? I have a doctor’s appointment on May 2nd that I don’t want to miss. By that time I should have everything packed and be ready to go. I’m sure we’ll have more to work out once I get there, but we don’t have time for that tonight.”

“I could be ready for you in less than a week. I’ll return for you the night of May 2nd. We’ll talk before then to make any arrangements to get your things back to Louisiana,” I sighed, knowing that our time was nearly up for the night. It would be a long three weeks. “Do you still have your cellphone?”

“Yes, I’ve had it off this entire time. I didn’t know if it could be tracked or not, but I still wanted to have it in case of an emergency.”

“Good, then I will call you when I get back to Shreveport. If it’s too late, I’ll send you a message so I won’t wake you.”

“Can you message me tonight when you get to wherever you’re going so that I know you’re safe?”

It had always amazed me how she could be so worried about me when most of the time her worry wasn’t for herself. “If that is what you want, I will text you before I go to ground for the day.”

“You’ll have to go to ground again? Why?”

“As I said before no one knows that I came to find you. Well, Pam knows, but she doesn’t know where you are. She will be more than shocked to hear the news that you’ll be returning and that you’ll be living with me. I won’t tell her about the baby yet. We’ll let that be a surprise,” I said with a chuckle. “I didn’t want anyone to know where I was going, and I didn’t expect you to give me a very warm reception. I thought I’d be lucky if you spoke to me at all, let alone get an invitation into your home.”

“Eric, you’ve always been welcome. Please text me tonight once you arrive at wherever you’re going,” she sighed, looking down at her hands in her lap. When she looked up, she was blinking back tears that were welling in her eyes.  “You’re going to have to leave soon, aren’t you?”

“Unfortunately, yes. We’ll talk as soon as I’m back in Shreveport. It won’t be long before we’ll see each other again.” I stood and held out my hand to her. She looked up into my eyes before taking my hand. I hated feeling how sad she was, but there was nothing I could do. Once she was back and living with me, I’d make sure that she was never sad again.

She walked me to the door slowly. After opening the door, she looked at our hands that were still joined. “Good bye, Eric,” she whispered to me.

I cupped her face with my hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. I wish I could have done more, but there was no time. “I will see you soon, my Sookie,” I said, and then kissed her forehead before I turned and walked out the door. Right before I took off into the sky I heard Sookie open the front door and yell my name. I turned around to see her running toward me. She launched herself at me, and I caught her in my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist, her arms around my neck, and her lips crashed into mine in the next moment. I felt her tongue begging for entrance and when I opened my mouth, she slipped in. When I felt her tongue caress against my own, I moaned into her mouth. Gods, I’d missed this! She tasted and felt so fucking good. Our kiss was passionate, urgent, and unfortunately short. Once Sookie needed to breathe she pulled away to rest her forehead against mine.

“I love you, Eric. I’m going to miss you,” she said against my lips.

“I know. I’m going to miss you too. Jag älskar dig. Be safe,” She lowered herself back down to the ground and started to head back inside. Right before she hit the steps, she turned around with her head tilted to the side. What was she doing? She had a puzzled look on her face.

“Do you sense anything?” She asked me. I scanned the area with my acute senses, but found nothing.

“No. Why, did you?”

“I thought… for a second there was another void, but I must have been mistaken.”

I walked back to her and she wrapped her arms around my waist hugging me. I held her head against me for a moment, but then stepped back. “Have you ever sensed a void since you’ve been here?”

“No. Never,” she said as she shook her head.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, but I’ll fly around and check the area before I leave. Please be careful.”

We said our goodbyes, and I watched Sookie walk back inside her house and shut the door. I knew that she didn’t want to see me leave. Hell, I didn’t want to leave. I quickly flew around the area, but I didn’t see anything. I headed back toward Shreveport. I had some things to take care of before Sookie came back and I thought she would be pleasantly surprised.

OoOoO

**SPOV**

I walked back inside the house without looking back. I couldn’t stand to see Eric leave, it was hard enough knowing that I wouldn’t see him for another three weeks. At least we would talk on the phone. How could I have been so wrong about him? I thought that the reason he hadn’t come to save me was because he didn’t care. Never did I think it was possible that he was being held against his will. He had felt my pain along with his own while sending me his strength to get through my torture. I should have known that I was wrong after I talked to Niall when he said ‘he’s a good man/vampire, he loves you’ that he was talking about Eric.

Why did I underestimate how much he cared for me? Since the beginning, Bill was always poisoning my mind about the type of vampire Eric was. Yes, he’s a very different type of vampire from Bill. Eric embraces what he is. He doesn’t try to hide his vampire nature. He doesn’t try to hide anything about what he is except for his feelings. Bill had once told me that Eric and I were similar in that we both had the same zest for life. Why was I always trying to run from Eric? He had always been there for me when I needed him. He actually listened to me and had always tried to make my life easier and better if I would only allow him. I mentioned one time that I didn’t have money for a new driveway and the next day, I had a new one. He noticed when I was not wearing a heavy enough coat, so he investigated the reason, and then bought me a new one.

I always thought Eric wanted something in return for the things he was giving me. I thought I would be indebted to him or he would want sexual favors when all he really wanted was to help me. Why didn’t I see all this until it was too late? I’d wasted so much time, and if I had listened to him and wasn’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t have been kidnapped and tortured. He wouldn’t have had to come up with excuses for DeCastro. He wouldn’t have been punished or gone through all that pain and torture because of me.

From that moment on I would be better, I vowed to myself. I would accept the things Eric wanted to give to me and I would accept my feelings for him and his feelings for me. I was going to learn how to read the bond and accept it. Eric saved me from Andre so I wouldn’t have had to spend the rest of my life with him trying to break me or, worse, Andre turning me and having to spend an eternity with him.

He wanted to be married to me. I was the wife he had chosen. I thought I would never get married and there I was, married to avampire. He wanted me to accept this marriage, but how could I? Shouldn’t you love the one you married? I knew that I loved him, but I wanted my husband to love me in return. Could he love me? I thought back to the conversation we had last night when he asked me why I would protect him and I told him because I love him. ‘Exactly,’ he said.

Did he mean that he loved me too?  I always felt a strong feeling of warmth coming from him when we were together. Was that love? I didn’t know, but I sure hoped it was.

I’d been sitting there on the couch for I don’t know how long.  I guess it was better for me to be thinking about how wrong I’ve been and how I wanted to change than to be thinking about Eric leaving. I got up and went into the kitchen to make myself a little snack before bed.

After eating my snack, I got ready for bed. I tried to get comfy in bed, but I missed Eric. One night with him in my bed and I already felt as if I could never sleep without him. It was going to be a long three weeks. Luckily, I fell asleep pretty quickly thanks to the growing baby inside of me. When it was finally time for me to get up for the day, I checked my phone to see if I had a message from Eric. I had woken up twice last night to go to the bathroom, and each time I looked only to find that there was no message. This time there was. He told me that his flight was uneventful and that he was going to ground. He would call or text me tonight once he got home.

OoOoO

Eric had called me on the third night after he had left. It was too late for him to call me when he finally arrived home. I had been packing the little I had accumulated in the house, but mostly I was missing Eric. He would call me every night when he rose, before he had to get ready to go to Fangtasia. He had a great deal of paperwork to take care of because he had been gone for almost a week.

I had told him that I had felt a void a couple of times around the house, but that when I looked outside, I couldn’t see anything. The void never got too close to the house, but I knew there was one out there. Eric mentioned that maybe the vampire was visiting someone, but just to be on the safe side, not to go out after dark. I wasn’t too thrilled with not being able to go out, but I certainly didn’t want to run into an unknown vampire. Eric was too far away to be able to do anything.

I was sitting in the living room reading one of my pregnancy books from the library, which had come in this week when I heard a noise outside my window. I dropped my shields to see what I could pick up, and the only thing around for me to find was a vampire void. I tried to continue reading, but the noises became louder and louder. All of a sudden there was knock on my front door. I checked to see who it was, and found that it was my neighbor who had been gone all week. I knew she had been gone all week because every time I dropped my shields I could never “hear” her. I decided I would try to read her before answering the door.

What I found when I peeked inside her head was not good. She’d been glamoured. Her brain was all foggy, and that was the only thing I could read. I ran into the kitchen to get my phone, and then closed myself off in the bathroom to call Eric. My heart felt as if it was going to beat out of my chest waiting for him to answer. He answered in two rings, but it felt like forever.

“Hello, dear one. Are you missing me already?” He asked me. It had only been about two hours since we had last spoken with each other.

“Eric, that vampire is outside. I started hearing noises outside, and then my neighbor knocked on the door. I wanted to check to see what she wanted since I knew that vampire had been out there tonight, but she’s been glamoured. I can’t get anything from her. I’m so scared. What am I going to do?” I whispered frantically.

“Fuck!” Eric yelled. I could hear some noises in the background. “I’m trying to find a flight, but they all have layovers and I wouldn’t make it until tomorrow. Where are you?”

“I’m in my bathroom. What should I do?”

“Try to stay calm. I’m going to make a few calls to see if I can borrow a private plane. I need to get off the phone with you for just a little while. I’ll call you as soon as I can. It shouldn’t take me long. Just stay where you are until I call you back. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, please hurry!” I whisper-yelled.

“I will,” he said and hung up.

The knocking started up again, but this time they were louder. Whoever was out there with my neighbor wouldn’t stop pounding on the door. I thought the vampire was going to break down my door, but eventually he let up, and I followed his void until it was out of range. I should probably check on my neighbor, but I was too scared and I needed to look out for the babyand myself, first and foremost.

I sat on my bathroom floor trying to be as quiet as I possibly could for the next twenty minutes while I waited for Eric to call me back, just in case this unknown vampire came back. When he finally called back, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“Hello,” I whispered.

“Sookie, are you ready to come back to Louisiana, or do you just want me to come to check out the threat?”

“I want you here because I’m scared, but I’m ready to come back. What can we do?” I implored.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to send Alcide. There’s no possible way for me to get there before dawn, and then you would have to wait the entire day. There’s a flight leaving here at 11:00pm and arriving there at 7:45am.  He will then have to rent a car to drive to and from the airport. The drive should take about an hour. Once he gets there, you should have about two hours until you would need to leave for the airport. Alcide will have your ticket. I’m not telling him why he’s going, just that it’surgent. You should be here by 10:00 pm tomorrow night. It’s going to be a long day so you should try to get some sleep. I’m going to try to call someone who can watch over the house. He won’t bother you. I’m going to tell him to only watch and let no one go into the house. I’ll have him call me once he’s there, and then I’ll text you to let you know he’s there.  Is this okay with you?”

“I guess with the flight times it doesn’t sound very good for you. Send Alcide and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“I’ll have him take you to Fangtasia. I don’t want him to know where our house is. I’ll text you after I get ahold of my friend and Alcide. I want you to text me once Alcide gets there and when you arrive at the airport. Everything’s going to be fine. Please try to get some rest, dear one, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told him and hung up. I went through the entire house making sure every door and window was locked, turned off all the lights and closed all the curtains. I tried to lay down and sleep, but I was too scared. I just lay there on my side with my phone in my hand waiting for the messages Eric would send.

First, he sent me one telling me that Alcide was on his way to the airport, and then to let me know he had gotten ahold of his friend James. He wanted me to know his name in case I would need to talk to him that I would know his friend’s name. I drifted in and out of sleep the whole night. The last text I got was from Eric it was just before dawn for him. He wanted to let me know he would see me soon, and to see if I was okay. I let him know I was all right and I couldn’t wait to see him.

The doorbell rang around 9:00am, waking me. I felt as if I had just gone to sleep. This was going to be a long day. I hoped I would be able to sleep on the plane. I was still in the same clothes as yesterday so I hopped out of bed with a groan to answer the door for Alcide. This should be interesting.

I opened the door to Alcide’s shocked face. “Sookie?” He asked while looking me up and down.

“It’s me,” I said while letting him inside. “Please come in. Do you want some breakfast?”

“Sure. Is this where you’ve been?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, but I’ll be right back,” I said, and then ran to the bathroom. There was no way this baby was letting me have another minute without going to the bathroom. I washed my face and hands, and brushed my teeth before I came back to make breakfast. I was making eggs, sausage and toast while Alcide sat there staring at me. Once I was done cooking he finally talked.

“Can you tell me why you left and stayed gone?”

“I left because I couldn’t shield myself from everyone’s thoughts, and I couldn’t take hearing what everyone thought happened to me when I was kidnapped and tortured. Also because I needed to heal. Then when I was going to come back, I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t want to go back to Bon Temps where everyone would think I’m a whore since my baby doesn’t have a father. I thought Eric wouldn’t want me on account of me being pregnant and he would think I cheated on him.”

“You want to tell me why I’m here? I get a call from Northman last night telling me he needed me to fly to Maine and I’d beleaving in an hour. I was given an extra plane ticket for the flight back, but he wouldn’t tell me anymore than that.”

“Eric found me a little over a week ago. I was supposed to move back to Louisiana in a couple more weeks, but since Eric left, there has been a vampire hanging around here. In all the time I’ve been here, I haven’t seen one vampire. Last night my neighbor came over after being gone for the week. When I tried to read her, she had been glamoured. Earlier I had heard some noises outside and the vampire was out there. I called Eric and he couldn’t get a flight to get here before dawn. So my choice was for him to get here during the day, and then not be able to leave until tonight or send you. I chose for him to send you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind. I’m glad I could help and that you’re coming back,” he said giving me a warm smile.

“Thanks, I appreciate your help. You’ve always been a good friend,” I said and gave him my most genuine smile.

“So does that mean you and Northman are together?”

“It does. We are married by vampire custom, and he wants us to live as husband and wife. We still have some things to work out, but I love him.”

“You know I don’t like you with vampires, but he’s probably as good as they come. He’s the only vampire that I trust. Maybe now that you’ll be back he’ll be in a better mood. I’ve heard he’s not been a very tolerant sheriff since he’s been back.”

“Thank you, Alcide. I know you don’t like vampires, so that means a great deal to me. I know you don’t see it, but he’s different with me. He really cares about me.”

“I know he does, and thanks for breakfast. So do you have all your stuff you want to take? You should probably get ready so we can go soon and catch our flight. There’s about an hour’s drive to the airport.”

“Yeah. I have a suitcase in my bedroom and a backpack. After I wash these dishes, I’ll take a quick shower, get dressed, and then I’ll be ready to go.”

I slept for most of the flight to Atlanta. On our flight to Shreveport, Alcide filled me in on what he knew was going on in Bon Temps and Shreveport. He informed me that he and Amelia had started dating about two months after I left and that he really liked her. He had been coming around to see if she had heard anything from me and they hit it off. I told him I was happy for the both of them. I was happy that both my friends had found someone because each of their last significant others had been killed.

The closer we got to Shreveport the happier I became. I was so excited to be back and to see Eric. I felt like I had missed himmore this last week than in the entire five months I had been gone. By the time we touched down at the airport, I could feel Eric in the bond and he was feeling just as happy as me.

We found Alcide’s truck in the parking lot and he put my suitcase in the back. After a few minutes of driving, Alcide finally turned to look at me.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy before. You really love him, don’t you?”

“I really do. I’ve missed him so much this week, more than I thought I ever would,” I said and smiled out the window while I watched the landscape start to become something familiar to me once again.

When we finally pulled up in front of Fangtasia, I didn’t even wait for Alcide to get out of the truck. I just hopped out and started heading for the door. Alcide ran up to me laughing at me. Pam saw us and waved us forward. She was smiling until she got a good look at my stomach and then her mouth hung open for a few seconds.

“Hello, my favorite breather. It’s good that you’ve made it back safely. It seems that you’ve picked up some carry-on luggage.”

“It’s good to see you too, Pam. Yes, I’ve picked up a little something,” I said, resting my hand of my stomach. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“Oh, you are correct. We will be talking about it,” she said as she let us in the front door.  Alcide and I walked in, and I immediately started searching for Eric. Where did I find him? Sitting on his throne. I could see him sitting up looking straight in my direction, but he hadn’t seen me yet. I worked my way through the crowd and once Eric saw me, he had a big smile on his face, not typical for when he was at Fangtasia. He stood up and walked toward me meeting me on the dance floor.

“I’m happy you’re finally home, dear one,” he said while cupping one side of my face with his hand. “Come, let’s sit for a little while. Would you like anything to drink?”

“I’ll have some water. Thank you,” I said as we sat down at his booth.

“It’s no problem,” he said and looked at Alcide. “You can place her things in my office. I owe a great debt to you for going to get her when I could not.”

Alcide and I didn’t know what to think about Eric saying he owed him, but I knew it was a big deal. Eric didn’t like to oweanyone.

“No debt is owed. Sookie is my friend and a friend of the Pack. I’m happy to help her anytime. I need to get going now though. Sookie, don’t be a stranger now that you’re back,” Alcide said with sincerity.

“I won’t. I’m sure I’ll see both you and Amelia very soon. Don’t tell her my news. I’d like to tell her myself,” he nodded, and then walked away.

“Thank you for sending him. Thank you for everything,” I said to Eric and leaned up against him, placing my head on his shoulder.

“You are welcome. I wish it could have been me, but I know you trust Alcide and that he would help. Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Not much, but I slept on the first flight, so I feel pretty good right now.”

A waitress brought over a glass of water for me and a TruBlood for Eric. We sat quietly as we sipped our drinks. It felt so good to be sitting here with him. I was finally here and we were going to start our lives together.


	7. Chapter 7

**SPOV: April**

After sitting in Fangtasia for only thirty minutes, I was ready to leave. I hadn’t been around this many people from whom I needed to shield myself in a long time. The only good thing that came out of reading all the vermin, as Pam liked to call them, was that I found out that Eric had shown no interest in anyone in quite a long time. Because he was showing interest in me,automatically they all hated me.

Lovely.

“Will you take me home now?” I asked Eric while my head was still against his shoulder.

“Are you feeling okay?” He asked me.

“I’m feeling fine, it’s your adoring fans who aren’t thinking very kind things about me, and I’m not really used to shielding fromthis many people anymore. I just need more sleep, and I’m going to have to get used to being around this many people again and shielding.”

“What are they thinking?” Eric asked curiously.

“Most are annoyed you’re paying attention to me. I guess you haven’t paid attention to anyone at the bar in a long time.”

“What else? I don’t think you would want to leave because you’ve found out that I’ve had no interest in these worthless humans.”

“That I’m fat. Why would you want anything to do with me? That they are prettier than I am. It’s really no big deal. I should be used to it by now.” I guess I had gotten used to no one thinking anything bad about me while I was away.

“You shouldn’t have to be used to anyone thinking those thoughts about you,” Eric sat there for a moment, trying to reign in his anger. “You have always been beautiful, but now that you are with child you are even more so.” A slow blush spread across my cheeks hearing Eric’s compliment. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to hearing him call me beautiful.

Eric stood up and held his hand out to me. Once I took it, he started walking us through the crowd, and they parted for him like the Red Sea. I thought he was just going to take me out the back door, but I realized my mistake when he started to step up on the dais.

Oh no.

This wouldn’t be good. I wanted to tell him not to do anything, but I knew I shouldn’t in front of all the vampires. It would make him look bad if it appeared that I couldn’t be controlled or had no respect for him, especially since I had just returned. This time I would be smarter in the way I behaved around vampires. Eric stood in front of his throne and faced the crowd while continuing to hold my hand.

“This woman here,” Eric said as he pulled me in front of him while wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “This is my wife and bonded. I expect you all to treat her with the same respect you give me. An insult to her is an insult to me and I will not tolerateanyone’s insolence. If any of you disrespect or insult my wife, your punishment will be excruciating and severe.”

Eric removed his arm he had wrapped around me, and then stepped back in front of me holding out his hand again. This time he took me out the back door and to his Corvette.  I was just now realizing that my car was in Maine. What was I going to do about a car? I guess I’d think about that later. Right now, I needed to … why did Eric do that?

“Why’d you do that?” I asked him slightly annoyed. “Now they just hate me even more. Hell, they’ll probably try even harder to get your attention,” I said and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Their efforts will be in vain,” Eric scoffed. “I believe that over the last year they’ve become accustomed to my negligence, andthey’re merely curious as to why I’m now spending so much time with you. They will get over it and move on.”

“Curious? I wouldn’t call it that,” I paused. Did I just hear him correctly, he said for the last year? “What did you mean for the last year or so?”

Eric looked over at me briefly, but said nothing. We continued in silence for the rest of the drive to his house. Our house. Once we pulled into the garage, he came around to my side of the car to help me out, and then took my bags out of the car. When did my bags get into the car?

We had just walked into the kitchen when Eric turned around and started talking. “I would like for us to share a bed, but if you are not comfortable with that, there is another room you can use. I have modified my room since you’ve been gone. I’ve added a nightstand, lamp, an overhead light, and an alarm clock for you. If you want anything else you only have to ask,” he pausedand seemed unsure for a moment. “Or you can add anything yourself. Whatever you want.”

I could feel he was apprehensive that I might still say no, even though he had provided the very things that had bothered me before and more. I didn’t want to wake up in total darkness and have to work my way around in the dark to get out.

“I can just put your bags in the bedroom upstairs until you decide or for when you are ready,” he said solemnly. I could feel that he was hurt because he thought I didn’t want to share a room with him.

“No! Put them down in your room. Our room, please,” I said. Eric smiled a big, beautiful smile that only I ever got to see andturned around to take them downstairs. Through the bond, I could feel he was happy and content. He had really liked it when I called it ‘our’ room. How could I have been so wrong about him? He was so happy for me to just simply say that I wanted to share a room with him. I went into the living room and sat down on the couch to wait for Eric. It didn’t take him long to come back and sit next to me.

“Are you going to answer my question from before?” I asked him. He raised an eyebrow in question.

“Don’t act as if you don’t know what I’m talking about,” I knew that he understood exactly to what I was referring. Vampiresnever forget. Anything.

“I’ve not had any other interest in over a year,” Eric said, and then shrugged.

“What do you mean other interests? I didn’t think they really interested you to begin with. I thought it was all just fucking and feeding.”

“Such vulgar language!” he teased. “Yes, that was all they ever were, but they are no more,” he said. Eric took both my hands into his significantly larger ones and looked me in the eyes. “Sookie, I have been with no other since we bonded in Rhodes.”

“You can’t be serious! You, the great Eric Northman, Viking vampire sex god have not had sex with anyone since Rhodes but me? Why didn’t you tell me this before? After you got your memories back? We weren’t even together for much of that time.”

“Being bonded to you is very special to me. I knew that you didn’t feel the same way about our bond. I was hoping that eventually you would learn to love it as I do. I didn’t want to make it a bigger deal than it already was. I knew that if I did you wouldn’t believe me.”

“I want you to know that I’m terribly sorry for the way I treated you before. It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that you, a thousand-year-old vampire, who is smart, funny, and drop-dead gorgeous, ‘the total package’, could want me. I’m nothing special and you’re… you. You could have anyone that you wanted.”

He chuckled. “You have no idea how special you are, you have plenty of suitors who are just waiting for me to fuck up so they can get their chance to be with you,” he sighed. “I am no good at this, Sookie. Expressing myself, my feelings. Before I met you I had very few emotions, and ever since you have come into my life, I am the happiest I have ever been,” he said, his accentbecoming more pronounced with every word and his contractions dropping. If we didn’t have the bond, I’d still be able to tell that this was very difficult for him to say these things.

“I have been jealous of the men in your life, protective over something that was not even mine, saddened by the things Bill has done to you, for what you went through after I got my memories back after the curse, and how I treated you. I have felt your tenderness and true affection, I have been devoted to someone other than myself, and made love for the first time in over a thousand years. None of this has been easy for me, feeling these things, and having never truly been in a relationship. The only relationship I had ever been in was when I married my brother’s wife after he died, and I did so because that was what needed to be done. I did not choose her. I did eventually begin to care for her, but nothing like I do for you. Sookie, I do not want you to doubt my feelings for you, even if I do not tell you often, you can feel them through the bond. It will never lie to you.”

Eric wiped away the tears that had been falling throughout his entire speech.  I never thought I would hear anything like that from him.

“I’m sorry I’m crying. It’s the hormones, but mostly it’s that I never expected anything like that from you. It means you love me, right?” I asked him.

He chuckled, “Of course it does, silly girl. I am sorry I have not said it before if it was what you needed to hear. In the past you have never wanted to talk about your feelings or my own …”

I interrupted him. “Do you want to know why?” I asked him. He nodded for me to go ahead. “I didn’t want to put myself out there and tell you how I felt, and then have you not feel the same. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it. What happened with Bill messed me up for so long. I’ve made you pay for everyone else’s mistakes and that was not fair to you,” I said, shaking my head. I reached up and cupped my hand to his cheek. “You have never given me any reason to believe that you would lie to me, but Bill had poisoned me for so long about you. Then you were cursed and I fell in love with you, and once I let you in again after you got your memories back, I tried to keep my distance because I knew that if I ever fully gave myself to you and we didn’t last, it would nearly kill me. I’m sorry for before, but now I know that you truly care for me, and would do anything for me. I trust you with my life and my heart, Eric Northman.”

OoOoO

**EPOV**

I pulled her to me, straddling my lap, and crushed my lips to hers. I could feel her love for me and it warmed my cold, dead heart. It still amazed me that she could love someone like me. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I would do anything for her and never take her for granted again.

I brought my hand up to her face and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I leaned in and she closed her eyes as my lips brushed against hers. She relaxed her body against mine searching for more, and I took that as my invitation. My lips were on hers then, softly at first as I reached my hand around to the back of her neck and ran my fingers through her hair. Our mouths moved together in a wonderful rhythm and my tongue sought entrance, which she happily gave. Her heart began to beat even faster as the kiss deepened and she moaned into my mouth. I let out a groan and pulled her closer to me. My hands were roaming all over her voluptuous body when I felt movement from her swollen belly. I snapped back to reality and I pulled my hand away.

“What’s wrong? It’s just the baby,” she paused, and I felt a mixture of conflicting emotions travel through her. “Did it bother you to feel it move? Does it bother you?”

“No, it doesn’t,” I looked away from her unsure of what to say next. I needed to tell her know how I truly felt. After I was taken away from my human family, I had never thought nor wanted to have children, but if it was possible, I would love to see Sookie round with my child.

I felt my eyes fill with tears, and when I turned back to look at Sookie, she gasped and brought her hands to my cheeks, wiping her thumbs underneath my eyes.

“Please, Eric, tell me what’s going on with you. I hate to see you hurting. What can I do?”

“Just listen to what I have to say,” I said to her, and she nodded while taking hold of my hand. “The baby does not bother me. I only wish that it was mine, to know that your belly is swollen with my child. Before when we were together, we never really talked much about what you would be giving up to be with me. We never talked about you wanting or having children. This is something I cannot give you.”

“No, we never talked about it before, but there are lots of things we didn’t talk about that we needed to discuss. I think we have both learned from our previous experience that we need to learn how to better communicate. I knew that by being with a vampire that I wasn’t going to have any children and I was fine with that,” she put up her hand up for me to not interrupt her.

“Please let me finish. I never wanted a child for a couple of reasons. First, that any child I had could potentially be telepathic, and I wouldn’t want that for anyone, least of all my own child. Secondly, the world that we live in is too dangerous for a baby or a child, let alone one who may be telepathic. Yet, once I found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t have an abortion; I was trying to stay away from all Supernatural creatures, and not be brought back into that world. It may not have been what I wanted, but now that I am pregnant? I want this baby and I already love him or her.”

She took in a deep breath. “If I could choose who the biological father of this baby would be, it would be you,” she moved closer to me and was now holding both of my hands. “The man that I love more than anything and would do anything for, but we both know that was never going to happen. So I need to ask you, can you accept me having this baby, knowing where it came from, and that it’s not yours?”

“I can and I do. I only wanted you to know that I wish I could give you a child. For you to have our child.”

“I wish that, too. Are you really ready for a baby or a child to live here for the next eighteen years? Do you really want to make that kind of commitment?”

“I don’t think anyone is ready for that type of change right away, but I want you and the baby to live here. I want to make that commitment to the both of you. Sookie, you’re my wife and I plan on you still being here with me in eighteen years.”

“Now I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to really think about if this is something you want,” she said, looking intently into my eyes. I nodded. I had no idea where she could be going with this. “We are married and you want us to live as though we are married, to be a real married couple, right?” I nodded again. “I would like it if you would be this child’s father, to protect, care, support, and guide him or her. I want you to be a real father to this baby and do all the things a dad would do.”

“I will be the father of this child in every way that matters, and I will try to be the father you want me to be. As a human when I was a father, I had little to do with my children, that was the mother’s responsibility. My job was to work in the fields, to protect our village, and then later when my sons got older, I would have taught them how to use a sword and to fight. I know that is very different from how things are done now, and I will try to be the father that this child should have.”

By the time I was done Sookie had tears trailing down her cheeks, but a smile on her face. I wiped them away while telling her,“I still don’t like seeing you cry, even if you are happy.”

She giggled at me, “I know you’re going to make a great father. Hell, I know you’ve already got the protective part down.”

“That I do. Do you need anything to eat or drink? There’s something I want to give you downstairs and I’m hoping that once we are down there we’ll be staying there for the rest of the night.”

“What do you want to give me down there?” She asked coyly, and I started to feel her lust igniting the bond.

“Amazingly, I’m not talking about sex, at least not right away. I want to give you something else first.”

“That has to be a first, Mr. Northman.”

“I believe it is, but as you already know, I’ve had many firsts with you and I hope there are more yet to come.  Come downstairs with me,” I said and held my hand out for her. I helped her up when she took my hand and led her downstairs. Once we’d gone through the security system and the door closed behind us, I guided her toward the bed.

**SPOV**

After I sat down, Eric went into the closet and disappeared for a moment. When he came out, I could feel that he was nervous, but what could he possibly be nervous about? He came and stood in front of me. Taking my hands in one of his, his eyes never left mine as he slowly got down onto one knee. I gasped and my eyes probably bulged out of my head, I was so shocked.

Is he doing what I think he’s doing?

“Sookie, I once told you that I would bring you to my side, share everything I have with you. I promise I will stay with you always. We will know each other’s bodies in every way, night after night. I will love you until the end of my days. You are the most beautiful, smart, loyal, funny, brave, responsible, hardworking, and creative person I know, and I would be honored if you would be my wife forevermore,” Eric said while looking me in the eyes. I could feel how much he meant these words and remembered that he had once said something very similar when he had amnesia.

“Yes,” I said a little too shaky. I was so overwhelmed by the love I felt coming from him and by his words. “Yes,” I said again, but this time with love and conviction. When I said it the second time Eric slid the most beautiful 18-karat white gold wedding band onto my finger. It had what looked like hundreds of glittering diamonds framing the band and beautiful, delicate flowers and leaves made of more perfectly cut diamonds covering the band. It was the most stunning and unique ring I had ever seen. After putting the ring on, he kissed my finger where my ring now sat.

  
[ ](http://i2.wp.com/www.gyllene76.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/penny_preville_wedding_ring_r6022w3-detail1.jpg)

Sookie’s Wedding Ring

“Eric, this is so beautiful! It’s the most stunning ring I’ve ever seen!” I said while admiring the ring on my finger. “I can’t even begin to express how much this means to me.” I looked back up at Eric with unshed tears in my eyes. “That you would acknowledge our marriage in the human world as you have in the Supernatural world,” I said to him, and then threw my arms around his neck kissing him as hard as I could.

Eric gripped the back of my head and held me to him, kissing with me with so much passion that I thought my lips might bruise. We only broke away once because I had to breathe. Eric stood up from being down on his knee and sat down beside me, placing a jewelry box in my hand.

“Open it,” he said, eyeing the box. I was surprised when I opened it to find a man’s wedding band inside. It looked as if it was made out of silver, which it obviously wasn’t. The band was smooth and simple, but what surprised me the most was what I found on the inside of the band. Tears began to spill down onto my cheeks as I read my name engraved into the band.

  
[ ](http://i2.wp.com/www.gyllene76.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/redemption-eric-wedding-band22.jpg)

Eric’s wedding band

“You said that we needed wedding rings, so I hope you approve,” he said, looking down at the box still in my hand. “If not, we can get something else.”

“No! I love both the rings! I think I’m just shocked by everything tonight. I never thought I’d see you with a wedding band on, or that I would be married,” I said as I took the ring out of the box.

I slowly slid the band onto his finger while pouring my heart and soul out to him, “In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. Eric, with you, I am whole, full, and alive. You make me laugh.You are my breath, my every heartbeat. I am yours and you are mine. You have been caught in my heart. The key is lost and now you must stay there forever.”

Eric pulled me against his body seizing my lips with his. I pulled away and he let out a sigh of disappointment. I smiled at him. I wouldn’t make him wait long. “Eric,” I said and cupped his face with my hands, “You have made me very happy tonight, so very happy, and I can’t wait to spend forever with you. I want to renew our bond tonight and I want to become one with you. I want this baby,” I said, and took and placed his hand on my stomach. “To have a part of you within it. Always. Will you rebond with me?” I asked.

Eric kissed me fiercely and screwed his eyes shut. I looked at him as he kissed me and watched as his face scrunched up, and then relaxed the more we kissed. My eyes fluttered closed as I melted into him.

“One,” he mumbled against my lips. “We will be one and nothing will tear us apart.  Never again.”

“Never,” I murmured in response, and then gasped when he cupped my face and quickly pulled away from me.

“Tell me,” he said almost frantically. “Tell me you want this.”

I placed my hands over his and I smiled wide. “I want to become one with you. I want this baby to have a part of you within it.Always. Will you rebon-”

His lips crashed onto mine and his tongue swept into my mouth taking my breath away.

“Yes, Sookie,” his voice cracked. “Always yes.”

I felt him tug at the hem of my shirt and I lifted my arms to help him slide it off of me. My shirt disappeared somewhere behind me while Eric ran his nose and lips all over the top my breasts, occasionally kissing and tasting my skin with his tongue. His large hands slid from my shoulders, down to my back, and, in one swift motion, he unhooked my bra and slowly took it off as well.

His cool lips never left my skin, I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my body against his.

“Eric…” I purred as his tongue swirled and his blunt teeth scraped against the sensitive spot on the side of my neck.

“Sookie…”  Eric groaned, and then finally pulled away to take off his shirt and gently pushed me down onto the bed. He leaned down and placed feather light kisses on my swollen belly and I felt my heart swell. Eric looked up and gave me a sweet smile that I knew was only for me. He gave my stomach one last kiss before he made quick work of my pants and panties and, before I knew it, I was bare and absolutely ready to be claimed by Eric. My lover. My Husband.

Eric kissed his way up to my breasts and took one of my pink nipples into his mouth.  He sucked me so gently; I thought I might cum from the stimulation alone. His hands softly roamed over my body, leaving a trail of fire wherever they went.

“Eric, please,” I whimpered. I needed to feel him inside of me. It had been too long.

He lifted his head and looked down at me.

“I’m going to touch, kiss, and taste every inch of you, Sookie,” he said passionately. “I’m going to worship you every night till the end of time and never again will you have reason to question our love.”

He sat up, and his eyes never left mine as he unbuckled his leather belt and unbuttoned his pants. I watched as he slid them off his hips and his gracious plenty sprang forward.  God! I had forgotten just how massive, strong, and beautiful he was.

A smile formed on his lips as his eyes raked over my body.

“You’re gorgeous, Sookie,” he said with reverence.

His lips descended onto my stomach once more and just as he vowed, he kissed, touched, and worshipped my whole body while telling me that he loved me. That he needed me. That I was his everything.

Eric kissed back up my inner thigh and inhaled deeply when he reached the drenched lips of my womanhood. I let out a whimper and involuntarily bucked my hips. He simply smirked at me, and then crawled back up my body and attached his coollips onto mine. I could feel the tip of his magnificent erection resting at the entrance of my hot core.

“I love you, my Sookie,” he said as he slid inside as if I’d never been gone, as if we’d made love every night for the past five months.

“This is best,” he whispered, and his voice had that accent I caught occasionally, that hint of a time and place that was so far distant I couldn’t even imagine. “This is best,” he said again. “This is right.”

“Oh Eric,” I moaned, grasping his shoulders and wrapping my legs around his narrow waist.

With his long body, he was able to arch his back to avoid putting too much pressure on my stomach. His elbows were on either side of my face and his hands cupped the back of my head. His blue eyes bore into mine and I fought to keep my eyes open. His long, deep, and slow strokes were so intense, I could feel the all too familiar pressure building in my pelvis.

“Er-ric!” I cried out, trying to fight off my impending orgasm. It was too soon. Too soon.

“Don’t fight it, Sookie,” Eric moaned, thrusting harder and faster. “Let go.”

I dug my nails into his shoulders and screamed silently as my first orgasm tore through me. I kept rocking my hips as Eric continued driving into me, making my body sing for him.

Only him.

Eric kissed my lips, and then sat up, placing his hands on my thighs and spreading me wider for him. His eyes moved down to where we were joined and he watched as he slid in and out of me.

“I’ve missed you wrapped around me, Sookie,” he groaned. “I’ve missed how perfectly we fit together.” His hips started pumping faster and his thrusts became deeper and harder, all the while he chanted my name.

“Oh, fuuuc- Sookie, Sookie, Sookie.”

“Eric I- I,” I tried to tell him that I loved him, but the heavenly burn of another impending climax started to overtake me and I couldn’t form the words. Instead, I held his hands on my thighs, I squeezed the muscles of my throbbing walls, and Eric lost it. His hips slammed into me and he lost his rhythm as he shot his cool seed into me.

He dropped his head and loosened his grip on my thighs.

“Oh Lover,” he moaned while lowering himself, and kissed me with so much love and passion, it brought me to tears.

With his length still solid and buried in me, he pulled me up so I was straddling him, and he started rocking my hips.

“I never want this to end,” he brushed his lips against mine and I sighed at the pleasure he was creating within me. I started to grind my hips, rubbing my clit against his pelvis, and we both gasped at the sensation.

“I love you, my husband,” I moaned, grinding faster as he thrust upward.

“Again,” he demanded, driving harder into me. I gasped and looked him in his fiery blue eyes. “I love you, I love you, my- Ah!” I threw my head back and screamed as my climax suddenly overtook me. I could barely feel Eric’s fangs in my neck, and I immediately latched onto his bloody wrist and drank deeply when he brought it to my lips. I moaned and whimpered against his cool skin as the aftershocks of my orgasm rippled through me.

I couldn’t help the tears that fell from my eyes.

“I’ve missed you,” I said, my voice quivering from all that I was feeling. All that he was feeling.

Eric healed the wound on my neck and kissed me deeply. His love, happiness, confidence, and relief filled me and I relished being one with him again.

My husband.

“My bonded,” I whispered before crashing my lips onto his.

“Always yours,” He rested his forehead against mine and wrapped his arms around me. “Forever yours, my wife.”


	8. Chapter 8

#### EPOV: April

I awoke to Sookie’s warm body wrapped around mine and it was not something I’d ever let myself believe would happen. Never did I think I would want to fall into my daytime rest with someone beside me, let alone hope for it. That was until I met Sookie. She was the only person that I’d ever let stay with me during my daytime rest besides my Maker and Pam.

If my heart still beat, then last night it would have surely stopped at the words that Sookie had spoken to me, the love that I felt emanating from our renewed bond.

I brushed Sookie’s hair off of her sweet, angelic face and watched as she stirred, awakening. Had she been asleep for the whole day? I couldn’t smell any other scents on her body. Was she that tired from not getting enough sleep the previous night or was it from me taking her blood? I didn’t even know if I should’ve taken her blood last night. What if taking her blood wasn’t safe for her or our baby?

Our baby.  The thought put a smile on my face.

That’s what this baby was. It was a part of Sookie and I will love it as if it was my own.

“Hey,” she said while trailing her hand down my cheek. “What’s got you so worried?” she asked.

“Have you been asleep the whole day?”

“I guess so,” she smiled up at me. “You definitely wore me out last night. Is that what has you so worried? I would think you’d like me to become more accustomed to your sleep schedule.”

“I’d love nothing more than for you to be awake while I am, but I was thinking it may not have been a good idea for me to have taken your blood last night. I don’t want to harm you or the baby.” I told her. “I don’t think I should feed off of you until you see a doctor, and I think you should see Dr. Ludwig.”

“I feel fine, but you are probably right about asking Dr. Ludwig. Now that I’m back,” she paused and looked away.

I turned her face back to mine and looked into her eyes. “You can tell me anything, Sookie.”

“I don’t want you feeding off of others,” she said and tried to look away again.

“I‘ll call the doctor to come see you right away, but if it’s detrimental to you or the baby’s health then I will not feed from you. However, I’ve never been unfaithful to you, and I don’t plan to start now. I’m very capable of feeding without sex, but I’ll be fine drinking TruBlood for awhile. I was  _only_  feeding on donors to heal. You have nothing to worry about, you should know that I prefer to drink only from you.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I need to go see to my human needs. Can you call and see if Dr. Ludwig can see me tonight?” I nodded.

While Sookie was in the bathroom, I called and asked Dr. Ludwig to come check on Sookie tonight at our home. Theanswering service informed me that the doctor was with another patient, but we would see her afterward.

After a few minutes, Sookie came out of the bathroom smelling minty fresh.

“The doctor’s with another patient right now, but she’ll meet us here once she’s done.”

“Do you think I have enough time to eat before she gets here?”

I shrugged, “I’m not sure, but you should eat if you’re hungry.”

She nodded and we headed upstairs to the kitchen. I watched her as she moved around, it made me happy to see that she was comfortable here and that we’d finally be sharing a home together.

“Would you like me to heat you up a TruBlood?”

I nodded and continued to watch her as she placed a TruBlood in the microwave. “What are you making to eat?  If you need anything else, put a list together and I’ll send Bobby to get it.”

She took my TruBlood out of the microwave, gave it a shake, and handed it to me. “I’m making eggs, bacon, and toast. You do know that I’m perfectly capable of going to the grocery store,” she said while continuing to make her breakfast.

“I know that you can go the store, but you don’t have to. Just think about it.”

“I will, but for now I think I’d like to continue to do my own shopping. I’m going to need to do something besides being here at home all the time or at Fangtasia.”

Home. She was finally here with me.

“What made you get all warm and fuzzy over there?” She asked me with a curious smile.

“That you referred to this as home. I’ve wanted you here for a long time, Lover.”

Sookie frowned and our bond filled with guilt and regret. “I’m sorry for being so stubborn before, and making you pay for all of Bill and Quinn’s mistakes. I never gave you a real chance because deep down inside I was afraid you would break my heart,” she paused and pressed her lips together.  “Then it was me that hurt us both.”

I walked over and wrapped my arms around her. She relaxed into my embrace and rested her cheek against my chest. “We have both made mistakes and done things that have hurt each other, but that’s all over now,” I placed a finger under her chin and tilted her beautiful face up to look up at mine. “I don’t want you to feel guilty about it anymore, Sookie.”

“I’ll try,” she said and softly kissed my lips.

####  **SPOV**

After I ate my breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen, I went downstairs and got dressed before Dr. Ludwig arrived. I was a little nervous for the doctor to examine me. I hoped that she wouldn’t tell Eric that he couldn’t feed off of me for the rest of the pregnancy. We had just gotten back together, and I wanted the intimacy of feeding him and to feel as if I was taking care ofhim.

As I walked upstairs, I heard the doorbell ring. At least she didn’t just pop in, that probably would have given me a heart attack. Eric was leading her into the living room when I walked in.

“Well, little girl, you certainly look better than the last time I saw you and I see you have a little something extra, too,” Dr. Ludwig said as she looked back and forth between Eric and me.

“Yes, I want you to examine Sookie,” Eric told her. “She arrived last night and we exchanged blood. When I rose tonight, she was still sleeping. I want to make sure she’s okay and if I’ll still be able to feed from her.”

“So, vampire, you’re okay with your mate being pregnant with another man’s child?”

“This is my child.” I could feel how angry this was making Eric and, unfortunately, this would not be the last time we’d hear this. “I may not be the biological father, but I will be the only father this child knows. Sookie’s not trying to convince me this is an immaculate conception,” the doctor snorted. “Just check to make sure she’s healthy. We would also like to hire you to be her doctor for the duration of her pregnancy.”

“Alright, come over here and lay down on the couch, little girl.”

I walked over to the couch and lay down. Eric came over and stood behind the arm of the couch where I was lying. Dr. Ludwig was at the side of the couch and started her examination. First, she pulled the skin under my eyes down and looked into my eyes, and then she opened my mouth, tilting my head up while looking in. Instead of using a stethoscope, she put her ear to my chest and listened. I could feel Eric starting to get agitated.

Next, she started to pull up the hem of my dress and Eric growled at her.

“Eric!” I said and turned my head toward him.

“Back off, vampire, or you will have to leave the room. I must do this to make sure that she and the baby are healthy,” she explained, and Eric just grunted at her. I hadn’t worn underwear beneath my dress in anticipation of the good doctor needingto do an internal exam. This was the one part that I hated about these exams. She slid my dress up, put on her latex gloves, and put two of her fingers inside of me while her other hand went on top of my stomach. I must have tensed up because Eric growled again and he bent over the side of the couch, leaning over me protectively while glaring at the poor doctor.

“Eric, this is what she’s supposed to do. It doesn’t matter what doctor I see, they’ll all do this, so please calm down. I’m fine. It’s just a little uncomfortable.”

I reached up and grabbed his hand to hold. Once our fingers were entwined, he relaxed somewhat and went back to standing straight at the top of the couch. When Dr. Ludwig was done, she pulled down my dress and started digging in her bag. She pulled out a vial and some needle-type thing.

“I’m going to need to draw her blood. Is that okay?”

“Why are you taking her blood?” Eric asked.

“I need to check her iron and hemoglobin levels, and to check to see if she’s Rh positive or negative. It’s very common to issue these tests during pregnancy.”

“If you must, then you have my permission to take her blood,” Eric stated.

“What are you talking about? Why are you asking him for permission?” I asked. I couldn’t understand why she’d be asking Eric instead of me.

“He’s your bonded mate. Your blood is his,” she answered.

“Oh really? Does that mean that anyone that wants his blood has to ask my permission?”

Dr. Ludwig smiled a small smile at me. I looked up at Eric and he had both of his eyebrows raised.

“That’s not normally how it’s done. A vampire has the right kill anyone who takes the blood of their bonded without permission, but I have yet to hear of a human that has killed anyone for taking their vampire’s blood.”

“Well, spread the word that if anyone takes his blood, I will kill them. If he can, then I can, too.” I felt Eric’s amusement through the bond and I gave him the stink eye.

The doctor smiled again at me. I thought she might actually like me. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but I couldn’t believe someone must ask Eric if they could take my blood, but it was okay for anyone to take his! I knew that he wouldn’t givehis blood to anyone, but it was the principle of the matter! I was the only one that he had given his blood to since he’d made Pam.

“Everything looks good and healthy, and she should be since she had your blood last night. You may continue to feed off of her, but I suggest you exchange blood once a week.  Are you comfortable with that?” she asked, looking at me. I nodded. “That will keep her healthy and strong. I believe it will also help you bond with the baby,” she said, looking at Eric.

“You gave her blood right after the fairy attack, and thereafter for a week, so if you keep up the blood exchanges you will have a bond established with the baby once he or she is born. Call tomorrow to make an appointment for two weeks. When you come in, we’ll do an ultrasound and we should be able to tell the sex of the baby,” she said and patted my leg.

“Thank you, Dr. Ludwig, for coming. I’m sorry for the way Eric behaved,” I said as I walked her to the door.

“He’s a vampire and they’re always possessive. That’s something you need to remember being involved with one. It’s only going to get worse the further along you get. You’re lucky that you got a good one. I have a feeling he’ll protect that baby just as much as he would you.”

I gave her a small smile, and then nodded, “Thank you again. I’ll call tomorrow to make that appointment.”

I watched as she walked out to her car. Her driver got out and opened the door for her before getting back into the car and driving away.

She said Eric would get more possessive than he already was. I already expected him to be possessive since we had been apart for so long. I hoped he wouldn’t get too over the top. Who was I kidding? This was Eric we were talking about! He was stillstanding at the end of the couch where I left him when I walked into the room. When he saw me, he held his hand out to me.

“Come sit. I have something I want to talk to you about,” Eric said while sitting down on the couch himself.

“What is it? You’re not still worried, are you?”

“No, I’m not worried. I want to talk to you about something you said last night,” I nodded, not having any idea what he was talking about. “Last night you said you couldn’t wait to spend forever with me. I need to know if you were talking about your forever or mine.”

I felt that he was hopeful, but also resigned to the fact that I had always wanted to stay human, but I’d thought more and more about that since he told me all about our bond.

“Eric, you know I’ve never wanted to be turned,” he nodded, and then hung his head. His hair fell down around his face creating a curtain so I couldn’t see his face any longer.

I reached up and tucked his hair behind his ear. Even if I didn’t have the bond to tell me how he was feeling, I would still be able to see the sadness etched on his face. I moved to sit at the end of the couch and Eric looked over at me, looking even more hurt that I’d moved away from him.

“Come lay down, and let’s talk.” I gave him a small smile and patted my leg.

Eric hesitated for a moment, but lay his head down on my lap facing me. My fingers immediately started running through his long, silky blond hair. Eric closed his eyes for a moment feeling content, but when he opened them back up I could see the sadness in them.

“Before I left, I was very confused by my feelings for you and our bond. I was also under the assumption that even if I was turned we would only spend a short time together. For me I couldn’t see any reason to be turned to only spend most of an eternity without you,” he started to interrupt, but I stilled my hand that was in his hair and laid a finger on his lips. “Let me finish,” he nodded. “This was how I was feeling before, but then you came to see me and explained to me about the bond, that we would always be together if you turned me.”

Eric took the hand that was placed against his lips and laced our fingers together.

“Besides thinking that we would be apart, I would miss the sun too much. Maybe my fairy nature makes me like the sun so much, I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I also hate the violence and vampire politics. I don’t know if I could ever get used to itall.”

“I understand, Sookie,” he said and I could feel that he had given up hope that I would join him for an eternity.

“When I was away, I realized just how much I love you,” I gave him a little smile. “I thought you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me if you found out I was pregnant and I missed you so much.”

I gazed down at Eric who was lying in my lap, showing me the vulnerable side of himself that only I got to see. I could see how much he loved me, would do anything for me, and who would love this baby as his own. While everyone else saw a 6’4 Viking, Vampire Sheriff, who’s ruthless, a warrior, a master strategist, manipulator, and so many more things that intimidates all who encounter him, I see the man he truly is.

“I’ve been thinking a lot since you left Maine about what you told me about our bond and how much I love you. I never would have bonded myself to you back then if I’d have known what it meant,” I could feel that I’d hurt him once more by saying this. “But I’m not sorry we did. I only wish it could have happened at a time when both of us knew what it meant and loved each other.”

“I did love you then, Sookie, I just didn’t know what I was feeling, and I know you loved me, too or, at least you loved your Eric.”

“I did love you then, but I didn’t want to. It hurt when you didn’t remember our time together, so I pushed those feelings away,” I breathed in a deep breath. “I can’t leave you knowing that you will meet the sun after I die. I don’t want you to feel the pain ofmy death if it’s anything like what I imagine I would feel if you died.”

“Does this mean that you’ll let me turn you?”

“Someday,” I said. Eric sat up and wrapped me in his arms while laying the mother of all kisses on me. He pulled back and began running his fingers lightly over my forehead and down my cheek. He ran his thumb across my lips. I kissed it softly and he continued to gently caress me from my head down to my toes. I sat back enjoying the sensation of Eric touching me. When he ran his thumb across my lips again, I cupped his face with my hands and pulled his lips to mine.

He kissed me tenderly while I ran my fingers through his hair and down his back. Without breaking the kiss, Eric maneuveredour bodies to lay down on the couch, his body on top of mine while keeping his weight on his elbows. I spread my legs a little further apart so his hips could rest between them. He continued to kiss my mouth, face, neck, and collarbone.

Eric worked his way back up to my lips giving them one last kiss. “I love you,” he whispered to me.

“I love you too,” I said and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. I ran my hand over the hair above his forehead and along his cheek and jaw.

“I never thought you would agree to be a vampire. To know that you have chosen me for eternity. I don’t think there’s anything I can do to show you how much this means to me.”

“I only ask that you stay with me and love me for all eternity.”

“I will always be by your side and even if you didn’t choose to, I would still love you until the end of my days.”

I gave him a kiss on his forehead for being so sweet. “You need to know this isn’t going to happen anytime soon,” I said and placed my hands on my stomach. “I want to wait until the baby is at least eighteen-years-old. Will eighteen to twenty years be too long?”

Eric furrowed his brows, “Why would you ask if it will be too long?”

“Will I be too old for you to turn?”

“As you know, age has no factor in being turned so I don’t understand your question.”

“Will I look too old for you in twenty years?”

“You will look the same as you do now if you continue to take my blood. It doesn’t matter what you look like. I just want to be with you,” he said with that sweet smile reserved just for me.

“I’m already older than you were when you were turned. I don’t want to look old compared to you forever.”

Eric chuckled, “I promise you will not. I may have been younger than you when I was turned, but I look older than most do now at that age.”

Eric ran his fingers through my hair and his hand down my back. “You have no idea how beautiful you are, and now that you’re with child you’re even more so. Let’s go to bed.” He stood and held his hand out to help me up and we headed downstairs to our bedroom. “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” He asked.

“I’m going to call Amelia and maybe Tara to see if they can do lunch at Merlotte’s. It’ll be nice to catch up with them.”

“I only ask that you make it back by sunset. We have an appointment with my lawyer tomorrow night at Fangtasia. The keys to the Escalade are on the hook by the garage door, please take it.”

“I kind of have to unless I want to drive your Corvette, and I certainly don’t want to do that.”

I headed into the bathroom to do my nightly ritual. After washing my face and putting on my lotion, I briefly thought about needing a better lotion for aging, but then thought of how silly I was. Vampire blood beats any lotion, any day.

I walked into our bedroom and Eric was sitting up against the headboard in all his naked glory. I grabbed the shirt he had worn tonight and used it for my nightshirt. Once I’d put all of our clothes into the hamper, I slid into bed.

“If the Escalade is not up to your liking, we can get you a new car. Whatever car you want you can have.”

“It’s fine. I don’t want you buying me a new car. I’ve never even driven it, so how I can say if I like it or not?”

“I think it will be very safe for you and the baby.”

“You’re going to be a great father. You’re already worried about the baby,” I said with a smile.

Eric scooted down the bed and laid his head on my stomach while holding one of my hands. “I’m going to try my hardest, Sookie. It’s so different from when I was human.”

“If you’re worried about being a good father, then you’ll be a good father. Bad parents never worry about whether they are being good parents. What are you doing down there?”

“I’m listening to the baby’s heartbeat along with yours. It’s around eighty beats faster than yours.”

“Yes, it’s very fast. I’ve heard it at the doctor’s office before.”

“Do you want to know the sex of the baby?” Eric asked.

“I think it’s a good idea. That way we can come up with a name, decorate the nursery, and buy everything he or she will need.”

We were quiet after that, and I was almost asleep when Eric came back up the bed and wrapped his arms around me. He buried his face in my hair and whispered, “I don’t want to ever be without you, I know that I will never be able to go on. However, if you change your mind to remain human then I’ll understand and I’ll be with you until you are no more. I will be hurt, not from betrayal, but from being faced with the loss of you. I will always honor your wishes.”

I placed one hand over Eric’s heart and the other on his cheek. “I’m not going to change my mind. I want to stay as I am so Ican be there for our baby, that’s the only thing holding me back. It should give me plenty of time to do any human things I want to do. I will be ready, and I promise I won’t change my mind on you.”

Eric rolled on top of me, leaned down, framed my face with his large hands, and swept his lips over mine, gently, caressing them with his own.  He nibbled the side of my lips before settling in and kissing me long, slow, and deep, as if his life depended on it, as if he’d never get to do it again.

He stared down at me with so much love, giving himself to me completely; it almost brought tears to my eyes. “I don’t think you realize how much you mean to me and now to have a child with the woman I love,” he said with a sweet and gentle smile. “I’m never going to let you go again.”


	9. Chapter 9

**SPOV: April**

* * *

 

I woke up in the arms of my Viking and snuggled back into his chest for a few minutes before I had to take care of those pesky human necessities. It was my second day back, and I had decided to call Amelia to see if she would have lunch with me at Merlotte’s. That way I would be able to see Sam and, if anything went wrong, then I knew Amelia would get me out of there. I called Jason and left a message saying that I was back, but living in Shreveport, and to call me when he had the chance. I didn’t want him to hear that I had been at Merlotte’s and hadn’t tried calling him. We may not have been on the best of terms before I left, but I knew how much I would hate it if he had been gone for so long and just shown up without calling me.

Amelia answered on the second ring, “Hello?”

“Hey Amelia, it’s Sookie.”

“Sookie! Oh, My God! I can’t believe it’s you. How are you?”

“I’m good. I’m sorry it’s been so long since we last spoke, but I have news…”

“Oh Sookie, you have no idea how good it is to hear from you!” Amelia exclaimed. I could practically feel her happiness radiating through the phone.

“It’s so good to hear your voice,” I said with a smile on my face.

“So, what’s the news?”

“I’m back. Well, back, but I’m in Shreveport. I thought we could have lunch and catch up. I have so much to tell you.”

“You’re lucky you caught me. I was just on my way to lunch! Where do you want to meet?”

I looked at my phone and realized that it was almost noon. I should have set my alarm so I could have gotten up earlier. I hadn’t even looked at the time before I used the phone.

“How ‘bout Merlotte’s? Say in about an hour and a half? Are you at work?”

“I’m at work, but it should be okay for me to have my lunch later,” she said, and then made a high-pitched squeal. “I’m so excited to see you! I’ve missed you so much!”

“I’ve missed you too. I need to get ready, but I’ll see you around 1:30.”

“I can’t wait,” Amelia said and I could hear the smile in her voice before she hung up.

It was going to be so good to have Amelia back in my life. Not as good as having Eric, but I knew that I couldn’t spend all of my time with him. I missed having friends, something I had avoided while I was in Rockland. I needed someone to spend time with during the day although I did plan to shift my hours more toward Eric’s.

I took a quick shower, dried my hair, threw it into a ponytail, put on some mascara and lip-gloss, and picked out a new sundress that I had bought recently. It would hide my pregnant belly more than anything that I currently owned. I knew that I would soon have to buy some maternity clothes or I would have nothing to wear. I also knew Eric would be happy if I walked around naked all day, well, maybe not once I turned into a whale, but I planned on getting out of this house every once in a while, and I’d need something to wear. Eric and I were going to need to have a serious talk soon about me working and money.

After getting ready, I wrote a quick note to Eric letting him know that I went to meet Amelia for lunch at Merlotte’s. I planned to be home before sundown, but I wanted to let him know where I was just in case. I gave him a quick kiss and left the note on his bedside table.

The closer I got to Bon Temps and Merlotte’s, the more nervous I became. I should have scheduled lunch somewhere in Shreveport, but I didn’t really know the area yet, and I really wanted to see Amelia and Sam. I looked down at my dress and I thought that it really did hide my pregnancy quite well. It wouldn’t in a couple of weeks, but for now, people would probably just think that I had put on a little weight.

When I pulled up outside of Merlotte’s, Amelia was stepping out of her car. She looked just like I remembered her, except now she looked much happier. She had on a pair of khaki pants and a light pink twin set with loafers. Total soccer mom.

The thought made me giggle. That could very well be me in a few years, but Eric would never be able to go to any games during the day. While I knew he would be a good father, there were going to plenty of things he would miss out on. We’d just have to buy a good video camera so he could watch later. I’d make sure that he wouldn’t miss out on anything if he didn’t have to. Seeing Amelia wave from behind her car pulled me out of my thoughts and my car.

Amelia hugged me tightly after I walked up to her, and then drew back looking at my stomach in total shock.

_Oh My God! Is Sookie pregnant? Did she find a boyfriend while she was away? I thought she said she was back._

“Let’s go inside, Amelia, and I’ll explain.”

Amelia blushed knowing that I’d heard her thoughts. I linked my arm with hers as we strolled into Merlotte’s. The whole restaurant stopped talking the moment they saw us walk in. Sam looked up from behind the bar, and he didn’t look happy to see me at all. Maybe I had ruined the friendship I had always had with him, but he was always telling me to get away from all the vampires in my life. He quickly schooled his features and came around the bar to give me a hug, and I tried to keep him away from feeling my stomach. I heard him take in a deep whiff of my scent, and then his brain went redder than ever and his emotions were all over the place.

None of them were good.

I stepped back and plastered on my ‘Crazy Sookie’ smile. “Hey Sam! It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too. Where have you been?”

“I was up North, but I’m back living in Shreveport now.”

“Shreveport? Why aren’t you back in your home here?” Sam asked.

“We’ll talk about that some other time. Amelia and I are here for lunch and to catch up.”

“Sure,” he said with a strange look on his face. “Sit anywhere you’d like and a waitress will be right with you. It sure is good to see you again. Are you at least back to stay?”

I put a genuine smile on my face, “I am, Sam. I’ve only been back a couple of days, but we’ll talk soon and catch up.”

Sam gave us a nod and went back behind the bar. I pulled Amelia to sit as far away from everyone as we possibly could. I didn’t need anyone hearing what we were going to talk about. I could hear all the patrons already whispering so I pulled up my shields as best as I could. I noticed that it was much easier than the other night at Fangtasia. Having Eric’s blood was definitely helping me block everyone’s thoughts.

A new waitress by the name of Maddy came over to take our order. Surprisingly, she strongly resembled me. She was around 5’5, blonde hair that was shorter than mine was before I cut it that went just past her shoulders, blue eyes, and she was curvy, though not as curvy as me. Amelia raised her eyebrows after Maddy left, giving me a questioning look.

“Is it just me, or does she look a little like me?” I asked Amelia.

“Thank God! I thought I was the only one who thought so. She’s also been dating Sam since about the second day that she started working here.”

“Well, I’m glad that Sam’s found someone even if she does look like me.”

“I think that’s the only reason he’s dating her,” Amelia said, trying to hide her smile.

I shrugged at her. I knew that Sam always had a thing for me, but I never thought he would go so far as to find a look-alike. I guess he thought I was never coming back and no one would make the connection. I snuck a glance over at the bar to look at Sam. He was staring over at us, but turned and started to wipe the counter once our eyes met. He was definitely acting strange, but I just attributed it to me having been gone for so long.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Amelia asked, making me look back at her.

“Of course I am. That’s why I asked you to lunch. Where should I start?” All of a sudden, I was really nervous that Amelia would not approve of Eric being the father of our baby, and wouldn’t want to be friends anymore.

“How about you start with that?” she said and pointed to my stomach that was hidden behind my dress.

“As you could feel I’m pregnant,” I said, but Amelia’s patience was running out. She raised her eyebrows and motioned with her hands for me to continue. “I found out after I had been gone for about a month. I was planning on coming back until I found out. I didn’t want to come back to live in a town where everyone already thinks I’m crazy to then thinking I’m a whore. I don’t want my baby being raised around that.”

“I’m confused. Who’s the father? Before you left you were with Eric and I know that he wouldn’t let you be with anyone else.”

That time I raised an eyebrow at her. “See, that’s exactly what everyone will think. Everyone around here thought I only dated vampires, and then I show up pregnant.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry, Sookie. I’m not judging and I don’t think you would cheat on him.”

“I didn’t cheat on him,” I said, but thought ‘everyone is going to think I cheated on him.  How am I going to live with everyone thinking that? How can Eric?’ “It happened when the fairies had me,” I said, and then looked down at my hands in my lap.

Amelia came around to sit next to me in our booth and put her arms around me, laying her head against mine. We just sat there silently hugging each other. I struggled to keep my shields up. I didn’t want to hear her pity or thoughts because that had been one of the main reasons I had left to begin with. Although I had healed and no longer had nightmares about it, I didn’t want to relive any of it.

“Thank you, Amelia. I really appreciate it.”

She smiled and went back to her seat. “So why did you come back? Not that I’m not happy, I am, but you could have made a life anywhere.”

“Eric found me.”

“What? How did he do that? No one knew where you were,” she asked surprised.

“After I found out I was pregnant, I stopped taking the potion. I didn’t want it to do anything that would harm the baby.”

“When did he find you?”

“Last month. He got in trouble with the King of Louisiana, and he came to look for me as soon as he could after he felt me in the bond.”

“How did that reunion go? I know you were afraid of how he might react if he found you.”

“It was awkward at first. I had written him a letter after I found out I was pregnant, telling him that I loved him and wished things were different, but I wasn’t coming back. When I first saw him, it was the first time I felt the baby kick. I couldn’t believe Eric was there, it had been months since I’d stopped taking the potion. He thought I had cheated on him at first too,” Amelia frowned at me mentioning that she had the same thought. “Let’s just say that we had plenty to talk about and they were all very difficult topics. It took us a few days to cover most of them.”

“So he made you feel safe enough to come back,” I nodded. “For the first month he came by the house weekly and he seemed sad, although it was hard for me to tell since he didn’t really talk to me. I told him I didn’t know where you were, so he would just walk around the house, stand in front of the fireplace looking at it, and then he would go into your room for hours. I don’t know what he was doing in there, but after the first time, I would just go to bed when he showed up. In the morning, the house would be locked up and the only thing that seemed changed was that your bed was a little wrinkly. After that first month, I never saw him again. I did come home a couple of times and found your door closed, but I figured if he was in there, he would want to be left alone.”

“Thank you for telling me,” I said and she gave me a sad smile. Tears welled up in my eyes thinking about Eric being sad after I left. I wished I could take it all back, that I’d stayed, and talked to him.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”  Amelia asked.

“I just feel so bad about hurting him. I should have talked to him instead of leaving.”

“It certainly seems that you two are on better terms.”

I smiled at her. “We definitely are,” I raised my left hand to show her my wedding ring. I still couldn’t get over how beautiful it was, and that Eric was really my husband.

“What the hell is that?” Amelia squealed out. “Did you get married?”

“Technically, I was already married. Remember? I just never accepted it. Before Eric left, he asked me to marry him,” Amelia looked at me questionably. “When we talked about being married I told him that I wanted a choice, so he gave me one. He said he wanted us to live as a real married couple and asked me to move back to Shreveport once I was ready.”

“Where are you going to live in Shreveport?”

“With Eric,” I said, thinking that should be a given.

“What about the baby? Is it safe?”

“We’re going to raise the baby together. Eric assures me that the baby will be safe.”

“I’m sorry, I just can’t see the Sheriff of Area 5 being a father to any child, let alone a newborn baby.”

“You don’t get to see him like I do. He’s not going to be the sheriff at home. You know how difficult things are in the Supe world. He can’t look weak in front of anyone, but he’s very caring,” Amelia gave me a skeptical look. “I know it seems crazy because he’s a vampire and he doesn’t think much about humans, but he loves me and he’s going to be the father to this child. He would never do anything to hurt the baby or me.”

“As long as he’s good to you and the baby, that’s all that matters.”

“Thank you,” I said and gave her a big smile. It really meant a great deal to me that she would accept Eric and me together.

“I guess I get to plan a baby shower for you,” Amelia said while clapping her hands together.

“You need to include Pam. She’s fascinated by baby and wedding showers.”

“No problem, it will be great to see her. I haven’t seen her in quite a while.”

We spent the rest of lunch talking about all things baby. It felt good to finally have someone to talk to and to have my friend back. I was a little sad that she had to go back to work, but we promised to try to have lunch or dinner at least once a week. I’d need to ask Eric about having people over to his house, I guess our house now. It made me a little nervous since I didn’t want anyone to know where his resting place was, but I’d like to be able to have friends over sometimes, too.

I gave Sam another hug and told him I’d talk to him soon. He was still acting weird, but I assumed it was from him being hurt when I left with no notice or his girlfriend who looked so much like me. I drove back to Shreveport in Eric’s Escalade, which drove better than anything I’d ever driven, feeling happy with my life. I couldn’t remember the last time I was so happy. I had my Eric back, a baby on the way, and my friends.

OoOoO

**EPOV**

I awoke to Sookie sitting beside me on the bed with a large, bright smile on her face. I didn’t think I’d ever seen or felt her so happy. I reached out my hand and trailed my fingers along her cheek. Once I reached her chin, I grasped it in between my thumb and finger pulling her toward me. She lay herself across my chest and wound her fingers through my hair once our lips met. I slipped my tongue into her mouth, caressing her tongue with mine while running my hands down her body. Once I reached her ass, I squeezed both cheeks and pressed her even closer to me. Only stopping when she had to pull back for air.

Sookie rested her forehead against mine trying to catch her breath. I closed my eyes letting the content feelings I felt wash through me while enjoying her warm breath caress my face.

“How was your day, dear one?” I asked after a few minutes.

“Mmm, it was good. I had lunch with Amelia at Merlotte’s. It was really good to catch up with her. I saw Sam, we didn’t get a chance to talk, but I told him I’d talk to him soon. He was acting kind of weird and I couldn’t get much from him. Did you know that he hired a waitress that looks like me and is now dating her?”

“I didn’t know that. Why do think he was acting ‘weird’?” Not that I cared for one moment about the shifter, but I could tell it was slightly distressing to Sookie when she talked about it.

“I’m not sure. Like I said, I didn’t get much from him even when I hugged him,” she said and only stopped talking when my body slightly stiffened. I hated when she let any other male touch her, let alone the ones that wanted her. She swatted me when she felt my possessive need for her take over the bond. “His mind was redder than normal, and his emotions were all over the place, but when he first saw me I could have sworn he wasn’t happy to see me.”

I rubbed my hands up and down her arms and back, trying to give her a little comfort while letting her feel my love for her.

“Either he’s mad that I left and didn’t tell him I was leaving, that I didn’t come to him first when I got back, that I’m living in Shreveport, or because he has some waitress who looks so much like me he’s embarrassed. I’ve never felt anything like that from him before.”

I could tell she was sad that her friendship with Sam might be in trouble or worse yet, over. It made me feel better knowing that she wouldn’t be trying to get her job back with the shifter.

“Just give him time. Maybe he was surprised to see you.”

“Maybe,” she said with a frown.

I sat us both up and placed a kiss to her forehead. “I need to shower and get ready, we have a meeting with my lawyer tonight.”

Unfortunately, I took a quick and lonely shower by myself and got dressed while Sookie was upstairs eating a snack. She was just finishing an apple that she was dipping into something. I was definitely going to have to get better acquainted with food before the baby ate solid foods.

Once we arrived at Fangtasia, Sookie went straight into my office and plopped herself down on the couch.

“Are you going to tell me what this meeting is about? I don’t understand why I need to be here when you meet your lawyer.”

“Since we cannot legally wed, then I want to make sure you and the baby will be taken care of in case anything happens to me. I want to put you on my accounts so you can use the money to start buying things for the baby, the house, or anything else you want.”

“You know I don’t want your money,” she said with an exasperated sigh.

“I know that, but we are married and now we will share my wealth. We will share everything.”

“Are you planning on something happening to you?” She asked with worry flooding our bond.

“I am very careful about my security. You know this. I don’t think anything is going to happen to me, but I want you to be taken care of just in case since we cannot legally marry in your world.”

Just as she was getting ready to argue with me, there was a knock on the door. Pam opened the door and came to sit on a chair in front of my desk.

“Mr. Dumas is here for your meeting,” Pam said while looking Sookie over. She raised an eyebrow, but I subtlety shook my head. I wanted to keep Sookie as calm as possible.

“Send him in,” I said. I stood and took the chair Pam had been sitting in and moved it beside my chair for Sookie. “Sookie, please come and sit over here for the meeting.”

Pam walked back in with my lawyer ushering him to a seat, and then she sat down on the couch. He sat, pulled his briefcase onto his lap, and started pulling out papers.

“Good evening, Mr. Northman,” I nodded. “I assume this is Miss Stackhouse.” I nodded again. “I have all the paperwork you requested,” He handed over the paperwork for me to look over first. I could tell he was nervous about something, but didn’t want to say what it was about.  I had felt a spike of irritation from Sookie for a moment, but it was gone now. After reading through the documents, I handed the ones for Sookie to her and the ones for Pam back to the lawyer to hand to her.

“Good evening, Miss Stackhouse. I’m Jonathon Dumas,” he gave her a nod.

“Good evening Mr. Dumas,” Sookie said quietly.

“Please look over the documents before you and sign where I have placed the sticky notes. If you have any questions, please ask.”

“Master, what is this about?” Pam asked me. I hadn’t discussed this with her, but I figured this was something I needed to do. I was more than a thousand-years-old and starting a family. I needed my time to not be tied up with all the mundane bullshit of Fangtasia.

“I am giving you Fangtasia,” Sookie and Pam were both in shock and disbelief.

“I can see that, but why?” She asked.

“This bar takes up too much of my time, and I’m starting a family with Sookie. I don’t want all my time spent here. I’m already going to miss so much being dead for the day,” I looked at Sookie and gave her a small smile. From her emotions, I could tell she had also had the same realization. “You’ve wanted your own business for quite a while now. Here’s your chance. You can do whatever you want to it. I only plan to keep my office for my sheriff duties. If you don’t want it, then we can sell it and you can find something else.”

Pam sat staring at me for a few moments taking it all in, probably trying to ascertain if I was serious or not. I let her feel that I had never been more serious. I wanted to be done with being put on display and spending so much of my time here.

“I can do anything?” She asked.

I chuckled at her, “Anything you want. It’s all yours, just leave me my office.”

“You got a deal,” she said, and then signed her paperwork and handed it back to the lawyer. I signed my name, and felt free for the first time in centuries.

Sookie had barely been reading her own paperwork while paying attention to Pam’s conversation with me. As she went back to reading over everything, her eyes got wider and wider; I could feel her disbelief and what I attributed to her feeling unworthy. I had hoped with time she would realize just how truly special she was to me and how completely worthy she truly was.

Finally, she looked over at me. “Eric, this is too much. You know I don’t want your money. There’s no reason for me to be on all these accounts.”

“You are my wife, therefore; I will share everything I have with you.” I could feel Sookie wanted to argue with me, but wouldn’t in front of the lawyer. That was definitely a pleasant surprise. She looked down to her lap for a moment, and then nodded before wiping her eyes.

“I have a question, Mr. Dumas.”

“Of course, ask anything. That’s what I’m here for,” he said.

“If I wanted to change my last name, would I have to resign all of this?”

“I can get the paperwork together to change your name by tomorrow night. If you sign the name that you want changed it to then you would not have to resign. I’ll file the paperwork right away. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

Sookie was nervous again as she looked over at me. She flicked her eyes over to the lawyer, and then back at me.

“Mr. Dumas, if you could please give us a few minutes,” I said. Pam walked him back out to the bar while I went to sit beside Sookie again.

“Lover, you have no reason to be nervous. You can talk to me about anything.”

“I want the baby and me to have the same last name,” I nodded. “Your name,” I nodded again, and it took a moment for what she had told me to sink in.

“You want to take my name?” I asked her.

“Yes. Although we can’t legally wed, we are married. If you’re plan to give the baby and me all this, it’s the only thing I can think to give you. I had thought of it briefly before, but I didn’t know if you would want me to have your last name, or what I’d have to do.”

I didn’t think I could express to her how much it meant to me for her to want this. Everything was falling into place and working out for us. I did feel that we deserved our happiness, I just hoped nothing happened to take it away from us.

I smiled, grabbed her face in between my hands, and smashed my lips to hers. She smiled against my mouth and giggled.

“I’ll take that to assume that you approve,” she said.

“I more than approve,” I kissed her again, and then called Pam to bring Mr. Dumas in.  “We need to hurry up, so I can get you home and ravish you.”

Sookie giggled, “Don’t think that we’re done talking about you adding me to all these accounts and setting up a trust fund for the baby.” I started to say something, but she stopped me. “I truly appreciate it. I really do. I just don’t feel worthy of all this. It’s too much.”

“You’ll get used to it and you  _are_  truly worthy. This is me taking care of you, and the baby, and that’s what I can do for you. You have given me love, a family, and made me feel more alive than I have in a thousand years. What I can give you hardly compares to what you give me.”

“You are a very sweet man, Eric Northman. I love you. Thank you,” she said with tears in her eyes, but a bright smile beaming back at me.

“I love you, too,” I said, picking her up out of her chair and straddling her across my legs. I cupped her face, pulled her closer to me, and placed feather light kisses all over her face until I reached her mouth. I parted her lips with my tongue and savored this moment with her.

Watching Sookie sign her name Sookie Stackhouse-Northman over and over again on all that paperwork made me happier than I ever thought it would and I could tell Sookie was as surprised by my reaction as I was. Once she was done, I carried her out to my car and raced home. We still had many hours until dawn for me to show her just how happy she had made me by becoming Mrs. Northman.

And by choice.


	10. Chapter 10

**SPOV: May**

The last couple of weeks had flown by, and Eric and I had spent more time together in these past two weeks than ever before. Eric had set up Wednesdays and Saturdays for his sheriff duties, and, with giving Pam the bar, he had significantly more free time.

We had actually been able to spend time being a real couple, something we’d never had before. Eric had taken me out to eata few times, shopping for maternity clothes, we cuddled up on the couch and watched movies, looked at baby things on the Internet, and talked.

We were getting to know each other again and better than ever. I didn’t think it was possible, but each day I fell in love with him more and more. We’d talked about everything. All the things that we wished we had talked about when we were together before but didn’t, about my childhood, when Eric was human, and many of his adventures over his lifetime.

Tonight we had an appointment with Dr. Ludwig and we were going to find out the sex of our baby. Neither one of us cared if itwas a boy or a girl, but I wanted to know so we could start deciding on a name, decorating the nursery, and buying everything the baby would need.

After the doctor’s appointment, we needed to go to Fangtasia since it was Wednesday and Eric had a few meetings scheduled. I figured with Eric busy, Pam and I could discuss decorating the nursery since we’d know if it was a boy or a girl.

I was already dressed, had eaten dinner, and was pacing the kitchen by the time Eric rose. He walked into the room already dressed and feeling disappointed.

“I don’t like waking up without you in bed,” he said, while sticking out his lower lip in a pout. There was nothing more ridiculous or cute than seeing that pout!

I giggled before replying, “I’m sorry, I’m just really anxious for this doctor appointment, and I knew if I was in bed when youwoke we’d probably miss the appointment.”

Eric looked at me with a mock expression of hurt on his face. “I can be quick, Lover. We still have time,” he said while waggling his eyebrows.

“You are never quick in bed. I promise we will have plenty of time later. Would you like a TruBlood before we go?”

“No, I’ll wait until later,” he said still pouting.

OoOoO

We arrived at the doctor’s office a short while later. Eric had started to drive slower, still fast, but slower, while I was in the car. He thought it might be bad for the baby with how nervous I always was when he drove, which was totally fine with me.

We checked in at the front desk and were directed to a room to wait for Dr. Ludwig. I sat on the table and Eric brought over a chair, sat down, and held my hand.

Eric laced our fingers together and smiled at me. “You’re excited. I like feeling you like this,” he said.

“Are you forgetting that I can feel just how happy and excited you are?” I replied.

“I’m not,” he shook his head. “I was just thinking how happy you’ve been since you’ve been back, how happy we both are. We didn’t have enough of that before.”

“No, we didn’t,” I said while smiling at him. “We’re different now. Right? We’re going to talk to each other about everything andnot hide anything.” I said with a raised eyebrow. “I know you’re keeping something from me.”

Eric sat back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. It was hard to be mad at him when he did this and I think he knew it too. Seeing his biceps bulge and his pecs through his shirt made me want to drool, but I was not falling prey to my hormones. We had agreed to not hide anything, and he was already hiding something from me. It had only been a couple of days, but he was worried about something.

Eric had just opened his mouth when Dr. Ludwig walked in. He had better not think that I was going to forget about this.

“How are you doing, little girl?” Dr. Ludwig asked.

“I’m good.”

“Are you sleeping alright?” I nodded. “No nausea?”

“None.”

“Are you still exchanging blood at least once a week?” I nodded again.

She proceeded to check my vitals and do all her own weird hands-on testing. I’m pretty sure that if most people went to a doctor where they licked the palm of your hand and held one hand over your stomach and one on your forehead while closing their eyes, they would consider that doctor a quack, but I trusted Dr. Ludwig to know what she was doing. Although Eric didn’t seem to like it, at least this time he was keeping quiet and not acting out aggressively toward her. I could feel through the bond he was feeling possessive, but he was keeping that between us.

“Are you ready to see your baby?”

“Yes,” I said enthusiastically.

Dr. Ludwig smiled at little at me. “You need to pull your pants down to your hip bone and lift your shirt up until it’s right underneath your breasts.” I did as she told me to, excited to see our baby.

“I’m going to squirt some gel onto your stomach and it’s going to be a little cold.”

She squirted the cold gel on me and I squeaked a little. Eric sat forward and glared at the doctor.

“I’m fine, Eric. It’s just really cold.”

“If you two are done overreacting, let’s get a look at this baby.”

Dr. Ludwig placed the wand on my belly and started moving it around. A black and white image came up on the screen. I couldn’t really see a baby, but I wasn’t going to let on if everyone else could. She clicked around for a few minutes.

“I’m all through with measuring the baby and everything looks good. Right here is the heart,” she said while pointing to the screen where it looked as if a light was flashing.

“That’s the heart?” I asked.

“It is,” she smiled and clicked a button. We could then hear the heartbeat pulsing along with the light flickering on the screen. Eric squeezed my hand and I looked over at him. He was captivated with the image on the screen.

“Are you ready to know if it’s a girl or a boy?”

“Yes,” I said while gripping Eric’s hand a little tighter.

She chuckled while she said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you.”

I looked from the screen to her. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. You’re having a girl,” she said with a smile.

“A girl?” I asked as tears filled my eyes. I was having a girl. A little girl.

After a few moments, I finally tore my eyes away from the screen to look at Eric. He was staring at the screen with eyes rimmed in red. I tried to understand what he was feeling, but he had way too many emotions swirling around in the bond for me to be able to tell.

Eric looked down at me and gave me a sweet smile before he leaned down and lightly kissed my lips, and then each of my eyes. He raised his head just enough to look me in the eyes.

“We’re having a girl,” he whispered. I nodded my head and wrapped my arms around him. A few more tears escaped before I let go of my hold on him. Eric wiped my tears away with the pads of his thumbs after he stood up.

“I’ll print out the pictures for you and they will have a video ready for you at the front desk when you make your next appointment. Just clean yourself up and you’ll be ready to go,” she said. “Unless you have any questions for me.”

“No, but thank you, Doctor.”

She smiled and walked out of the room leaving us alone. We both smiled at each other while I cleaned the gel off my stomach and put my clothes back in place. Before we could head out the door, Eric pulled me into his body and hugged me tightly, but with care for my growing bulge. “I love you, my wife,” he whispered from the top of my head before he placed a kiss and let me go.

OoOoO

Once we arrived at Fangtasia, there was already someone waiting to meet with Eric. He walked me over to our booth before going back to his office for his appointment. I still couldn’t believe that Eric had handed over Fangtasia to Pam so nonchalantly. I always thought he enjoyed being the center of attention with all the fangbangers groveling at his feet or even just looking at him.

Eric signaled for Pam to come and sit with me while he had his meetings. This might be her bar now, but he was still her Master, and he wanted to make sure nothing happened to me when he couldn’t be with me.

“I’ll be out as soon as my meetings are over,” he said, and then placed a kiss on my temple before heading to his office.

Pam had already slipped into the booth across from me with a bored expression on her face.

“So?” Pam said with the same eyebrow-like raise that Eric did. It seemed that the more one spent time with him, the more one developed this particular habit. I was even finding myself doing it more often these days.

“So?”

“Don’t play games with me, Sookie. Do you know how stressed and busy I’ve been since taking over this place? So just tell me what you found out at the doctor’s office.”

“She said everything’s fine with the baby… oh, I have a picture. Video too, but if you want to see it you’ll have to wait until you come over to the house.”

I dug into my purse, pulling out first one, and then the rest of the pictures, handing them over to Pam.

“I don’t know what I’m looking at here, Sookie.”

I pointed out the spine, the heart that looked kind of like a void, the arms, leg, hands, and feet.

“That’s all very nice, but what I want to know is if that baby,” she pointed to my stomach. “Has a penis or a vagina.” She said deadpanned.

I nearly spit out my gingerale all over the table and Pam. She definitely wouldn’t have appreciated that.

“It’s going to be a girl.”

Pam got a mischievous look on her face while looking down the hallway toward Eric’s office.

“Good. Think of all the things I can buy for a girl. You’re going to let me decorate the nursery. I already have ideas,” Pam said, looking excited.

“Do I get any say in the nursery?”

“No,” she said. “Let me handle it. You’ll love it. You should be resting.”

“I’m not that pregnant. Just don’t let it be overrun with pink. If it’s too pink, Eric may never go into the room.”

“How much do you think he’s going to be around the baby?” she said, looking at me critically.

“If he wants to be around me …” I started to say, but then I paused wondering. “Did he say something to you? Does he not want to be around the baby?”

I think Pam could hear the slight panic in my voice so she tried to correct herself.

“He hasn’t said anything to me. I’ve barely spoken with him since you’ve been back. I just can’t see anyone wanting to be around a smelly baby.”

“Babies don’t smell bad. They actually smell good. You’ll see. Are you sure he hasn’t said anything?”

“I’m sure. I’ve never felt him happier in all of my existence. You must be doing something right with all the time you’ve been spending together.”

“We are both very happy,” I said with a smile. “We never really got to spend this much time together except when Eric couldn’teven remember himself. Can you tell me anything about what you have planned for the nursery now that you know it’s going to be a girl?”

For the next thirty minutes Pam told me some of the ideas she had and even let me put my two cents in every once in a while. I knew she’d do a great job because she lived to shop, and it made me happy that she was at least excited about the baby in one aspect.

“Have you talked to Amelia about the baby shower?” I asked her. I felt Eric’s rage through the bond for a few moments, and then it quickly went to worry and fear. He closed the off bond to me when he felt my own fear and worry.

“Pam, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” she said, looking down the hallway.

“Go find out. He’s closed off the bond from me. He never does that.”

“I cannot leave you. We will just have to wait until his meeting is over. I’ll know if he is in any danger.”

I was just getting ready to argue with Pam that I would be fine for a few minutes when I noticed Bill walking in. I hadn’t seen Bill since I left the hospital after the fairy war. He was still a little gray, but he looked much better.

I had been meaning to go see him, but I hadn’t been back to Bon Temps since my first lunch with Amelia. I had called Sam a few times to meet with him so we could talk, but he always gave me excuses about being too busy with work or his girlfriend. Amelia had told me that the bar wasn’t any busier than it usually was, so we decided that he just didn’t want to see me. I left him a message telling him to call me when he wanted to see me and I hadn’t heard back from him. Ever since then Amelia, Jason, and I had been meeting in Shreveport and Monroe to go out to eat. I had totally forgotten about going to see Bill and I felt a little bad about it.

I watched Bill order a TruBlood at the bar, and, when he spotted me, he walked over to the booth.

“Pam,” he nodded to her. “Sookie,” he nodded at me then. “I had heard you were back, but I haven’t seen you at your house or at Merlotte’s. I thought it was just a rumor, but I see it is not.” I could see that it had hurt Bill that I hadn’t made any effort to see or talk to him.

“I’m sorry, Bill. I haven’t been back long, but I should’ve at least called you,” I looked over at Pam. “I’m sure Bill will be happy to sit with me and catch up while you go check on Eric.”

“You’re always trouble, my dear friend,” Pam said with a smirk. “Bill, don’t let anything happen to her or my Master will end you.”

“I would never let anything happen to Sookie,” Bill said, giving us his most boring look.  I had forgotten how boring Bill was. Eric and Pam were always so full of life.

Bill watched Pam until she had disappeared down the hallway to talk.

“How long have you been back? Why haven’t I seen you at your house in Bon Temps?”

I knew that he also meant that my scent was not there, but he knew I found it creepy when vampires talked about smelling people, and I hated it when he creeped around my house.

“I’ve been back a little over two weeks. Again, I’m sorry I haven’t contacted you. I really should have, but I’ve been busy. How’dyou hear I was back?”

“Merlotte’s. I heard people saying that you had come into have lunch one day with Amelia. There was very little talk, and as Isaid, I hadn’t seen you so I thought it was rumor. You haven’t been back to your house,” he noted. “Are you going back to wherever it is you’ve been hiding?”

I ignored the snide tone in his question and replied, “I’m living here in Shreveport now.”

“Why not Bon Temps?”

“I gave the house to Amelia,” I explained. “It’s hers and has been for a while now.”

“Why would you do that? You love that house. It always meant so much to you. Did you need the money or something? I would gladly help you.”

“I don’t need the money. I gave it to her because she wanted to stay in Bon Temps and I knew she would take care of the house.”

“Will you tell me where you’ve been?”

“No,” I said curtly, hoping to cut his questions off there, but of course Bill took no notice.

“Will you tell me why you left?”

“I left because I couldn’t use my shields after I went home from the hospital.  Everyone’s thoughts were driving me crazy. I wasn’t planning to be gone as long as I was, but circumstances changed, and then I wasn’t going to come back.”

We sat there looking at each other for a few minutes. When Bill realized that I was done he looked at me, exasperated. “That’s it?” I nodded. “Can you at least tell me why you chose to live in Shreveport of all places?”

“Because my husband lives here.”

“You got married?” He asked with narrowed eyes and a disapproving tone. “Who’s your husband?”

“I am,” Eric said. I scowled at him. He still had the bond silenced. He put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.

“Be serious, Eric. Has she told you where she was?”

“I know where she was,” Eric said in a nonchalant tone.

“Who are you married to, Sookie?”

“She’s married to me, Bill, I already told you,” Eric said, waving his left hand in the air showing off his wedding band.

Bill looked more shocked than I had ever seen him and actually gasped. “Sookie, you didn’t have to marry him! I would have protected you!”

“Bill,” I said, shaking my head. “Eric and I have been married for over a year. You know that.”

“But you’ve never acknowledged him as your husband before, and he hasn’t ever worn a wedding band.” Bill sat puzzled for aminute before muttering. “I feel like I’m in the ‘Twilight Zone.’”

Eric chuckled and pulled me closer to him.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but we talked over some misunderstandings. We are married and I acknowledge it,” I said, hoping that Bill would finally understand that we were never going to be together.

I could tell Bill was disappointed that he didn’t stand a shot, but he should have known that for quite some time. If Bill was the last man on the face of the planet, I would be single. Not. Happening.

I looked over at Eric, “Is everything okay?”

He gave a solemn nod, “We will talk about it when we get home.”

“You bet we will,” I said, staring him down.

Bill scoffed at us, “This is unbelievable!”

“We can leave in a little bit. I’m expecting someone, and then we’ll leave. He should be here soon.”

We sat quietly, waiting. I watched the door waiting for someone to walk in. I could almost feel the tension radiating from Eric. He still had the bond closed off, and he was definitely going to hear about it later.

After twenty minutes or so, I saw someone I recognized walk in. Alcide. Why was he here? Surely, Eric wouldn’t call him to meet with him. Us? I knew that was the case. Alcide wouldn’t show up to a vampire bar unless he’d been called, plus he was walking straight toward us.

“Hey, little mama. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling good. A little confused right now. How are you?”

“I’d be better if I knew why I was ordered to come here,” Alcide said while looking at Eric.

“We need to talk somewhere privately and it can’t be here. It will be hours before Fangtasia closes. Will you follow us?”

“Are you asking?” Alcide asked. Eric looked annoyed, but nodded. “Wow! Sookie, you’re really rubbing off on him! Keep it up. He’s actually becoming tolerable.”

I scowled at Alcide, “He’s already more than tolerable.”

“To you maybe, but nobody else.” I continued to scowl at him. “I’ll follow,” Alcide replied back at Eric.

Eric looked over at Bill for a moment, looking him over. “You may also follow if you would like.”

“Does this have anything to do with Sookie?” Bill asked. Of course, always trying to be the hero. Never happening, Bill, I thought as I did an internal eye roll.

“It does,” Eric said, giving Bill his own scowl.

“Then I’m in,” Bill said.

We all stood to head out the back door, but Alcide’s comment made us all stop.

“You’re a lot bigger than the last time I saw you.”

“Thanks, Alcide. I really appreciate you commenting on how fat I’m getting.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, you’re not getting fat,” Eric said, now giving me the scowl that belonged directed at Bill.

“No, just big,” I mumbled.

Bill turned around and looked me over. When his eyes reached my swollen belly, they looked as if they were going to pop outof his head.

“You’re pregnant? How far along are you? Who’s the father?”

“Can we just go? I’ll answer your questions when we get wherever we’re going.”

“We’re going home. As they don’t know where we live, they are following us.”

“You’re letting them come to our house?”

Eric nodded, but didn’t say anything else. He helped me get into the car, walked to his side, and got in. The ride was silent for a few minutes. Eric looked to be deep in thought. The bond was closed, and he had invited Alcide and Bill over to our house. Something was wrong.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned my body toward him and finally broke the silence. “I’m really trying to be calm here, but you’re really starting to worry me. Why do you still have the bond closed off?”

Eric reached over and lightly ran his knuckles over my cheek. He gave me a small smile,  and then I slowly started feeling the bond come back.

“I didn’t realize that I still had it silenced. I’m sorry.”

“An apology from Eric Northman, something must be wrong!”

I felt Eric’s irritation through the bond. “Why did you do it?”

“I felt you fear and worry. I thought it would help.”

“You thought it would help to cut yourself off from me so I wouldn’t worry? It did the opposite,” he gave me a knowing look. “I know. I know. I did the same thing to you when I left, but I didn’t like it either. The second it went away, I felt the void in my chest and I hated it,” I whispered as my eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, but please don’t block me. It only makes me worry.”

“I will try not to block it unless it is absolutely necessary. If I am in pain, I will block it from you so you will not feel it,” he hesitated for a moment. “I promise to not silence it unless it’s needed.

“Thank you,” I said and he nodded. We were quiet the rest of the way home. I knew he wouldn’t tell me what was going on until we were with Alcide and Bill. I did wonder where Pam was, but I figured she needed to stay at Fangtasia, and he must have already told her what was happening.

We parked in the garage, and Alcide and Bill parked in the driveway. I invited Bill into our house given that the day after I had signed papers where Eric shared his fortune with me, he had papers drawn up that put the house in my name. That way novampires could come into our house unless they were invited.

They followed us in through the garage door where Eric made them take off their shoes. We went into the living room to sit down and have our little powwow.

“Can I get anyone anything to drink?” I asked.

“No, thank you,” Bill and Alcide replied in unison.

“Sit, Lover. I will get you a drink.”

I sat down on the couch across from Bill and Alcide. It was a little uncomfortable with Bill staring at my pregnant belly. I knew he would stop as soon Eric returned to the room. I was hoping Eric wouldn’t take too long.

“How far along are you now?” Alcide asked.

“Around five and a half months.”

“You should be able to find out the sex soon,” he said.

“We have. We just found out earlier tonight,” I said with a smile. I was so excited that we were having a girl.

“What are you having?”

I thought about it for a minute. I wasn’t sure if Eric wanted people to know, but soon everyone would know I was pregnant.

“Eric, do you care if I tell them what we’re having?”

“Go ahead,” he called from the kitchen.

Bill raised his eyebrows at this. “It’s a girl,” I said with a big smile. I could feel a rush of overwhelming happiness coming from Eric when I said this.

Alcide whistled, “Do you know what he’s going to be like when she turns into a teenager?” He said, pointing into the kitchen. “I think I’ll be out of state for those years.”

“Pfft. He won’t be so  bad. What are you talking about?”

“If he’s half as possessive of her as he is over you, I fear for any boy that comes within a mile of her,” I rolled my eyes and decided to change the subject.

“Did you ever find out anything about the vampire who was hanging around my house?” I asked Alcide.

“No, when I went back the scent was long gone. Whoever it was probably caught your scent and was curious about you. Your neighbor’s fine and knew nothing about a vampire being around. I’m sorry I couldn’t find out more.”

“You did the best you could. Thanks for making the trip when you didn’t have to. I’m sure Eric could have found someone else to go.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I’d do anything to help you, you know that, Sookie.”

Eric walked into the room and handed me a glass of milk. He had a bottle of TruBlood for himself. Anytime Eric thought I needed something to drink, he brought me a glass of milk. He read that it would help make the baby stronger. I didn’t really see how that was an issue with our blood exchanges, but it made him feel better, and I thought it was sweet.

“She’s not dating until she’s at least thirty,” he said once he sat down.

I just looked over at Eric. He couldn’t be serious. Was he?

“I told you he would be trouble,” Alcide said while snickering.

“Who’s the father?” Bill asked. We all looked at him with a scowl.

“I’m the father,” Eric answered.

“I must truly be in the ‘Twilight Zone.’ There’s no possible way for you to be the father,”  Bill said while shaking his head.

“I’m the father in the only way that will matter. Drop it, Bill,” Eric growled.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but how can you have her in your house while she’s carrying another man’s child? If she’s as far along as she says she is, then she cheated on you. How can you accept that?”

Alcide looked at Bill as if he was about to lose his head, and Eric stood up growling at him with his fangs longer than I’d ever seen. I, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction. I burst into tears. It was just as I thought. Everyone was going to think I cheated on him. How could he stand for anyone to think that? I didn’t want him to look weak because of me.

Eric turned around and scooped me into his arms. He sat down and rocked back and forth to calm me down.

“Hush, dear one. Pay no mind to Bill. I’ve told you for years not to listen to him,” I continued to cry and not respond as Eric tried to make me feel better. “Please, stop crying. You know how much I hate it when you cry. Please, tell me what to do.”

“How can you stand this?” I asked him, pulling back to look him in the eye. “Everyone thinking that I cheated on you? How do you explain? I don’t want to have to explain to everyone I see or meet. Should I just have a tattoo on my forehead that says I didn’t cheat on you! I was raped!”

I sobbed even harder into Eric’s neck. I didn’t want this life for him. He always had so much pride and for everyone to think thatI cheated…

“No one will question us! I’m the father of our baby and the next person who questions it, I will rip off their head.”

“You can’t rip off everyone’s head who asks,” I said from the crook of his neck.

“I can and I will. Eventually they will figure out to stop asking. I will not have anyone upsetting you like this,” Eric said while glaring at Bill.

“Any more questions, Bill?” he growled at him.

“No.  No more questions,” Bill said, and then looked down at the floor.

“How ‘bout you tell us why we’re here?” Alcide said, trying to break the tension in the room.

“When I got back from visiting Sookie and before she came to live here, I was in negotiations with a few monarchs to take out DeCastro. I was hoping to have everything worked out before our King discovered that Sookie was back.

“I found out tonight that word has spread and he knows of Sookie’s return. I don’t know if he knows she’s pregnant or not. If or when he finds out, he will stop at nothing until he has her.”

Eric picked up my hand and began rubbing soothing circles onto the top of it while looking at me. He had a strange look on his face, but I didn’t know what it meant. After a moment, I realized that he was waiting for me to freak out or act out irrationally.

“Is this the secret meeting you had a couple of days ago?” I asked. I felt a small bit of relief through the bond. I didn’t think that I normally reacted too badly to these situations, but as I looked around the room at the puzzled looks on everyone’s faces, that certainly seemed to be the case.

“Yes, dear one. The meeting was to negotiate with the other monarchs and so was the phone meeting tonight, but instead I was informed that DeCastro knows that you’re back.”

“Who do you think told him?” I asked. Not many knew that I was back. Well, all of Bon Temps, Amelia, Alcide, now Bill, but the vampires of Eric’s Area knew not to say anything.

“I don’t know, but I will find out and when I do, I’ll kill him.”

“What have you been negotiating?” I asked. Alcide and Bill both leaned forward waiting to see if Eric would answer me.

“Our freedom,” he replied. “I have no desire to be king nor do I wish to continue on with the way things have been with DeCastro. You may also have to occasionally work for whoever gains control of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Nevada,” I began tointerrupt, but he raised his hand to stop me. “It will be with advance notice and you may decline any job. I promise they do not want you for themselves,” In true Eric fashion, he waggled his eyebrows at me and whispered, “That pleasure is for me and me alone.”

I slapped his arm playfully. “Will you tell us with whom you’ve been negotiating? For whom I’ll have to work?” I definitely wasn’t happy that I would have to work for someone else or multiple someone’s, but if he thought it was better than dealing with DeCastro, I would trust him.

“Russell, Stan, and Bart. Stan already has his own telepath, and you know Russell and Bart. They are only interested in you working for them, but they consider you a friend and will not ask you to work for them over frivolous things.”

“I feel better knowing it’s them. You really feel it’s necessary to take out DeCastro?”

“If you want to remain here, I do. He will not let you stay here after I could not deliver you to him when you were gone. It’s the only way for you to stay, for us to be free, and for me to not have to be king.”

I hated thinking about what Eric went through while I was gone. Now I knew what DeCastro was truly capable of, I would do almost anything to not become his sex and blood slave. I couldn’t imagine what he would do if my baby had telepathy. To have my baby raised in Nevada while I was a slave to DeCastro? The thought made me shiver. I didn’t care how many times Russell, Stan, or Bart asked me to work for them, I knew it will be better than with DeCastro. I only wanted to keep Eric safe and to be with him.

I nodded my head at him, “That seems very reasonable. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, but why’s Alcide here?” I asked him and moved to curl my body against his side. Eric wrapped his arm around my shoulders and rubbed his hand up and down my arm.

“If DeCastro knows you’re back, it’s possible he could send Weres to take you during the day. Very few know of our location,and it’s going to stay that way,” he growled menacingly at both Alcide and Bill. They both nodded in agreement. “If you go out during the day, have any problems, or if you feel as though something is not right, I want you to call Alcide. He will protect you until sunset. Will you do that for me?” he asked, looking down at me.

“I will,” I answered him. I looked over at Alcide. “I hardly go out any more during the day since my schedule is close to vampire hours, but sometimes I go to the grocery store, shopping, lunch, or dinner with Amelia or Jason. I won’t inconvenience you too much, I promise, Alcide.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take you wherever you need to go. No problem. We just got you back and I’ll do my part to keep you here,” I could read from Alcide’s thoughts that he was being truthful. He had missed me when I was gone. He was also noticinghow well Eric was treating me and that he wasn’t being such a hard ass toward him. He could really see a change in Eric. It made me smile knowing Alcide saw that Eric wasn’t as bad as he made himself out to be.

“The further along Sookie gets, the slower and harder it will be for her to get around. I only want her safe. It shouldn’t be too long before the takeover. I’ll inform you when I know I’ll be away and I’d like you to stay with Sookie.”

Alcide agreed, but I didn’t understand why Eric would have to be away. “Why will you be away?”

“Russell, Bart, and Stan want me to take out DeCastro. That’s my part in the takeover,” he said and began rubbing his hand up and down my arm again.

“I don’t want you to. It’s not safe. What if something happens to you?”

Eric chuckled before he responded to me, which only irritated me more. “Do you have so little faith in my skills as a warrior? You’ve seen me fight before, Sookie, and you know how I love a good fight.”

“I know, but if something happens to you …” I couldn’t continue. Tears welled up in my eyes and started trickling down my cheeks. “Nothing can happen to you,” I sobbed out.

Eric picked me up and placed me back on his lap, cradling me close to him. He placed his chin on the top of my head and looked at our guests.

“I will let you know when I know more. Alcide, does she have your phone number if she needs to get ahold of you?”

“Yes,” he said as he stood from his seat. “I’ll talk to you later, Sookie. Take care of her, Northman.”

“I will,” he was quiet for a minute, rocking me back and forth before he looked up again. “Goodbye, Bill. See yourself out.”

Once we heard the front door close, Eric stood, walked around the house with me still in his arms locking all the doors, and then set the alarm before taking me downstairs to our bedroom. He went straight into the bathroom and started the water for the bathtub.

He sat me down, first undressing himself, and then me. Eric held onto me trying to hush me while the tub filled. After a few minutes the tub was full, and Eric picked me up and sat us both into the warm water. Once I had calmed down some, he got us situated with my back to his chest and his arms wrapped around me.

“Sookie, if I thought there was any way that something bad could happen to me, then I wouldn’t go. I finally have you. You’re giving me a family again after a thousand years, and letting me become your Maker one day. Those are all things that I don’t want to give up. I will be safe and come back to you. I promise you, my love. I promise,” he said while he squeezed me tight and placed kisses all over my neck and shoulders.

I nodded. “I love you so much, Eric, and I feel the same way. We’re finally happy and we’re having a baby together. A little girl. Now that we finally know what we’re having we need to come up with a name for her. I want you to start thinking of names you like.”

I felt Eric nod against my head before he licked and nibbled a trail from my shoulder to my ear. He placed a kiss behind my ear in the spot that always made me ache for him. I turned around to straddle his waist, some water splashed out of the tub, but it was quickly forgotten when Eric leaned forward and started to gently nip and tease the flesh of my breast.

I closed my eyes as my fingers threaded through his long, wet hair and I enjoyed the sensation of his tongue, teeth, and lips teasing my hardened nipple.

“Eric,” I moaned when I felt his hand dip underneath the warm water and slide through my folds. He smiled against my breast before he grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. I snapped my eyes open to find Eric looking hungrily down at me with the tips of his sharp, white fangs peeking out from under his lip.

“Everything you are,” Eric growled, leaning just inches away from my face. “Everything inside you…” He slid a long, thick fingerinside of me causing me to gasp and grind my hips into his hand.

He smirked and purred with satisfaction.

“Yours,” I whispered weakly.

Eric bared his fangs, and I watched his beautiful, blue eyes dilate into perfect, black orbs.

“Mine,” he said hoarsely while he thrust another finger in me and stroked the throbbing walls of my sex while he rubbed tight,hard circles on my swollen clit.

“Eric!” I cried out and gasped. His fingers moved in and out of me faster and faster, going deeper and hitting the place that made my body burn from the inside out. My walls began to flutter around his fingers and moments before I felt my orgasm take over, he removed his fingers and quickly replaced them with his long, thick erection.

A guttural groan rumbled in his chest and left his perfect mouth as I cried out his name. He still had one hand gripping my hair, forcing me to look at him as he claimed me, and his other hand on my hip, steadying and controlling my motions.

“You are mine, Sookie. You and our baby girl,” his voice was rough and full of love. “Mine.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” I chanted, loving every thrust, every grunt and groan from my husband. I adored the way our bodies moved against and with each other. I rocked my hips faster against him as his thrusts quickened and deepened.  His eyes never left mine and it was more than I could take. I screamed out my release and I felt Eric swell and shoot his cool seed inside me, groaning loudly as he came.

“I love you,” Eric whispered as he placed sweet kisses along my neck to my jaw and a final deep kiss on my lips.

“I love you too, Eric. More than you could ever know,” I shivered in the now cold water. Eric flipped the switch against the wall with his foot, releasing the plug from the tub and letting the water drain.

In one swift motion, Eric gathered me in his arms and stepped out of the tub. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he walked us to our bed. He laid me down and crawled on top of me, placing a lingering kiss on my belly.

His still hard arousal rested between my legs and his wet, swollen tip rubbed and teased the entrance of my wanton sex.

“It’s time to warm you up, my wife,” He thrust fiercely into me and it didn’t take long before I was on fire again.


	11. Chapter 11

**SPOV:  July**

I awoke a couple of hours before sunset as I normally did these days. I didn’t think I would probably sleep this late if I wasn’t pregnant, but I’m not complaining. I loved spending as much time as I could with Eric and I had been getting plenty of it. Weboth knew that as soon as the baby arrived life would change for the both of us, and the honeymoon would be over.

I got up, took a long, hot shower, and then had breakfast before I went back to bed to sit with Eric. Tonight he was leaving for the takeover that was to take place tomorrow.

I didn’t know how I would be able to continue if he died while trying to insure our freedom. I had never loved anyone as much as I loved Eric. These last few months had been the happiest I’d ever had.

I looked down at Eric’s angelic face and trailed my fingers over his cheekbones, jaw, and lips. “You really are the most handsome man I’ve ever seen,” I said to him. I lightly kissed his lips, and then lay down to snuggle him trying to get as much of my body touching his as I could. It would be a couple of days before I would see him again, and I knew that it would also bevery stressful.

I ran my hand over Eric’s abs and chest. “I love you. Do you know how much I love you?”

To my surprise Eric said, “I do,” I hadn’t realized that I had been lying here as long as I had.

“I didn’t realize you were awake yet,” I said as I tried to get my heartbeat under control.

Eric chuckled as he climbed on top of me as best as he could with my large belly, which wasn’t very close at all.  He was up on his hands and knees hovering over me.

“I can tell. Your heart is beating very quickly. I thought you knew I was awake or I would have done something to let you know I was,” he said with a smirk. “What were you thinking that had your thoughts so far away?”

I hated that I was so worried about anything happening to Eric. I didn’t want him to think that I didn’t have confidence in him, but if anything happened to him …

Eric leaned down and brushed a tender kiss onto my lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Nothing’s going to happen to me,” I nodded my head. Eric placed another kiss on my lips, and then moved south to kiss my belly.

“How are my girls doing today?” he asked as he placed his ear lightly down on my stomach to listen to our daughter.

“She’s good. Kicking up a storm lately.”

I watched as Eric placed his large hand where a hand or foot had just appeared.

“She knows your voice,” I said while running my hands through Eric’s hair. “She’s always more responsive when she hears you.”

Eric smiled a big, beaming smile before he whispered something in Swedish and placed another kiss on my belly beforecoming back up my body.

“I’d like to make love to my wife before I have to go,” Eric said before kissing me passionately.

Eric laid down behind me, pulling my leg over his. He kissed my neck and shoulder while lightly kneading my breasts. I turned my head toward him so I could kiss him. Our kisses were slow, but burning with passion. I never wanted this to end. We might not be able to have the sex like we used to, but Eric could still pleasure me like no other.

Eric circled my clit with light strokes while moving in and out of me with long, slow thrusts. I could feel our pleasures building together. I turned my body as much as I could toward Eric. Our mouths collided and we swallowed each other’s moans as wave after wave of our combined orgasms crashed through our bond.

I lay there panting with tears cascading down my face. I was on emotional overload. Eric was somewhat used to me crying about everything and nothing. He still hated to see me cry, but I think he finally realized that my hormones were out of control with being pregnant.

Eric pulled my body to his, wrapped his arms around me, and caressed my hair. “Did I hurt you?” he whispered. I shook my head as best as I could. “Can you tell me what it’s about?”

I burrowed my face into his chest and began to sob. I didn’t think I could possibly describe what I was feeling to him or why I was crying. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t get myself under control and that he had to feel this coming from me through our bond.

“I’m sorry,” I said after a few minutes when I had finally calmed down some.

Eric pulled back and I could see the concern in his eyes. “What are you sorry for?”

“I don’t want you to go,” I said as my lip started to quiver again.

“I know,” he whispered, placing a kiss on my forehead. “I know. I’m doing this for our freedom. I promise I’m going to be fine. We have planned for two months now, so there should be no surprises. All will be fine.”

“I just worry,” I felt that’s all I had been doing for the last two months ever since I had heard that Eric would be the one to take out DeCastro.

“I know you do, but you don’t need to worry. This will be easy. Not very many know about the takeover, and the ones that do we trust not to deceive us.”

“If you see Sam, are you going to kill him?” I asked. We had found out a couple of days after seeing Bill that it was Sam who had informed DeCastro that I had returned. Eric hadn’t heard anything from his king, which was not the norm. His theory was that DeCastro knew I was pregnant, and was waiting until after the baby was born to take me away. It didn’t matter because after tomorrow night, he would be no more, and Eric would have an alliance with the three monarchs who would be taking over DeCastro’s states.

Sam had disappeared and been seen by one of Eric’s spies in Vegas with his Sookie look-alike girlfriend.

“I doubt I will see him, but, yes, I will kill him if I see him. I know you don’t like it, but he’s the one who told DeCastro that you were back. He knew you’d be taken away from here. Away from me,” he said in a menacing growl. “How could you ever trust him again?”

“I couldn’t and I understand. You know I hate people dying because of me, but I do understand.”

We lay there for a few more minutes. Our time was running out. Tears welled in my eyes once again. Eric ran his thumbs along my cheekbones, and then placed feather light kisses all over my face ending with a toe-curling kiss.

“I love you, my wife, and I  _will_  come back to you. That I promise. Please try to stop worrying. It’s not good for our dotter.”

“I know, and I’ll try my best,” I giggled at him using Swedish. “I hope you don’t plan on teaching our daughter Swedish and not me. I can’t be the only one that doesn’t speak it.”

“I will teach you any language you want to know,” he said with a smirk. “We need to get up and get ready before Pam and Alcide get here.”

My body stiffened and I tightened my arms around him, not wanting to part ways with him. Now or ever. Eric chuckled at me. “Just pretend you and Pam are having a girl’s night and I’m at work.”

“It will be hard to pretend that, and why would Alcide be here?”

“He can be your man-servant. Getting anything that you wish. Have him help you with finishing the baby’s room. I know Pam is planning on bringing everything over and setting it all up. That should keep you entertained.”

“I don’t want to be entertained. I want you home and safe.”

“Lover,” he sighed. “I know you don’t want me to do this, but I must. I know you’re worried about me, but I have been a fighter since my human days. I will not encounter anyone who is more skilled or older than I am. You want to be free from DeCastro, don’t you?  You don’t want to always be looking over your shoulder waiting for something bad to happen, do you?”

“Of course not. I’m sorry, I’m just worried and I love you.”

“I know. As I love you. You’re starting to give me a complex that I’m not capable with all your worrying,” he said with a smirk, and then placed a quick kiss to my lips and shot off toward the shower.

“Are you going to join me?” He called from the bathroom.

How could I turn down the opportunity to get my hands all over his body one last time tonight?

OoOoO

Shortly after Eric left, Pam ordered Alcide to start bringing in all the furniture from the moving truck she had brought over. I wasn’t sure why Pam was having Alcide do it since she was the vampire and couldn’t get tired, but I wasn’t going to argue with her. I guess she didn’t want to break a nail or scuff up her designer pumps.

Pam already had the walls painted a light gray color and had very soft, plush carpet installed about a week earlier. Poor Alcide, I didn’t think he was ever going to stop bringing stuff in. I think we were both having the same thought. I caught one of his thoughts that the moving truck was never-ending. The boxes just kept coming. I felt bad, and if I wasn’t so pregnant, I would have helped him.

After Alcide had finally brought everything inside and we a short dinner break, Pam had Alcide back to work putting all the furniture together.

While the furniture was being put together, Pam decided that she would paint my toenails while we watched movies. That was fine by me seeing as it had been awhile since I had been able to paint my toenails, and I didn’t think Eric would want to do it.

“Pam, why is Alcide doing all the work of putting the nursery together?”

“He is just putting the furniture together, that’s why he’s here. I’m going to put the room together.”

“He’s here to protect me and help me during the day, not be your slave.”

“Seriously, Sookie,” Pam said while waving her hand in the air and rolling her eyes before going back to putting a coat of clear gloss on my toe nails. “You’re becoming such a bore these days.”

“I’m pregnant, Pam! I plan to stay out of trouble, have no one out to kill me, kidnap me, or anything like that once this takeover is finally done.”

“You used to be so entertaining.”

 OoOoO

I awoke just a couple of hours before sunset. I was definitely living vampire hours. If it wasn’t summer, I probably would be. It would be interesting to see how much changed once the baby was here.

After showering and brushing my teeth, I went upstairs to find Alcide, and eat some breakfast. Alcide was sprawled out on the couch watching a baseball game. When he saw me walk into the room, he sat up a little straighter.

“Hey, Sookie. Did you sleep all right?”

“I did, except waking up to go to the bathroom every two hours. How’d you sleep?”

“Good. I have some breakfast in the oven for you if you’re hungry.”

“You didn’t have to do that. I’m sorry Pam put you to work last night, but I don’t see her putting all that furniture together, so thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Alcide said with a chuckle. “I don’t see her doing any labor and I’m sure you want that room done.”

“I do. Although I wish it was done before now.”

“We’ll get it done tonight. Everything just has to go into its place. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll try. I may stake her if it doesn’t get it done,” Alcide snickered at my comment. “I just need everything in its place.”

“You’re nesting and it’s typical for all pregnant women,” Alcide said with a smile.  It was good to be back and have my friends in my life again. I may not have many, but the ones I did have were the best ones.

I went in search of my breakfast and found biscuits, sausage, and eggs in the oven. It had been a long time since anyone had cooked for me and this was some good cookin’!

“Alcide, you’re a really good cook. Thanks for making breakfast!” I yelled to him from the kitchen.

“I’m glad you like it. It probably gets a little lonely eating by yourself when you’re around so many vampires.”

“Eric normally sits with me and drinks a TruBlood while I eat for at least one meal a day. It’s just not very fun cooking for one. I’ve been making batches of stuff and freezing it. I’ve also been having dinner or lunch with Amelia or Jason at least once a week, so it’s not too bad. I’m not around too many vampires. Eric gave Pam Fangtasia so he’s only there two nights out of the week. He’s trying to get it down to one.”

“He gave Pam Fangtasia?” I nodded. “Wow. I can’t believe he did that.”

“I couldn’t either, but he didn’t want to spend all of his time there.”

“So what has he been doing with all his time now that he has more?”

“Spending it with me. We go out to dinner or watch TV, read, go shopping. Whatever we want. It’s been nice. It’s what we should have had before.”

“It’s good that you’re happy now. I can’t wait to see him with the baby.”

Alcide and I continued talking until Pam came down to the kitchen. I warmed her up a TruBlood, and once she drank it down in one gulp, she went upstairs to finish the nursery. It was nice having Alcide to talk to and try to get my mind off what Eric was doing tonight.

I tried to watch TV with Alcide, but I was too worried about Eric and all the vampires who were helping him with the takeover.

Pam was in the nursery for about two hours trying to make it actually look like a nursery. She had promised me it wouldn’t be so pink that Eric would never set foot in there.

When she came to get me, she insisted that she blindfold me. She placed her hands over my eyes and led me to the nursery. Once we were inside, she removed her hands to reveal one of the most stunning nurseries I’d ever seen! I stood in awe of what Pam had envisioned and accomplished!

Alcide whistled, “Wow! This has to be the nicest baby room on the planet!”

“Pam,” I said, but couldn’t say any more. Tears started trickling down my cheeks as I slowly walked around the room.

[ ](http://i2.wp.com/gyllene76.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/beauty-luxury-girl-nursery-ideas-in-classic-design-by-baby-restoration.jpeg)

There was shelving with cute stuffed animals and baskets filled with baby products on them,  a white changing table, dresser, a light pink chair, rug, and curtains.  The crib was a brushed metal with pink and gray bedding, and above the crib was a beautiful mirror. Pam had even changed the lighting so there was a little chandelier hanging in the room.

I walked over to the crib and noticed the pink blanket hanging over the railing. I trailed my hands down the blanket until I got to the name that was embroidered on it. It was the softest blanket I had ever felt, but I was touched that Pam had our daughter’s name put on it.

Seeing ‘Ella’ written in calligraphy across the light pink baby blanket that was laid on the railing of the crib brought me back to how we came up with her name.

OoOoO

_I was standing in the doorway of the nursery looking at the vacant room, about ready to have a breakdown. Eric came up behind me with his arms around my stomach, one hand on the top and one on the bottom almost as if he was supporting my ever-growing belly._

_“What has you feeling this way? You weren’t in bed with me when I rose. You know I hate it when you’re not there.”_

_“I’m going to be a horrible mother. The nursery isn’t even done! Does Pam know when this baby is due? I need for this room to be done. I only have a few items of clothing! Pam said she’d take care of it and I’ve let her. What am I going to do? I’ve never even held a baby! I have no idea how to feed one! She could starve… I’ll have no idea why she’s crying! What if she hates me?” Eric went to speak, but I continued. The words left from my mouth faster than a flash of lightning._

_“I won’t know how to burp her! What if I drop her while giving her a bath? The state will take her away from us! What happens if I don’t hear her in the middle of the night?” Pausing, I took in a deep breath and started sobbing. “And those ointments? What are they all for? How will I know which one to use and how much to put on? What am I talking about? I don’t even know how to change a diaper! Is she going to be laying on the changing table naked because her mother doesn’t know how to put a diaper on her?”_

_Eric chuckled, “First of all the state is not going to take our daughter away. I will never let that happen. I’ll glamour or kill anyone who tries.” This time it was me who tried to interrupt, but Eric placed a finger against my lips to stop me. He picked me up, took me into the living room, and sat us down on the couch._

_“You are going to be a wonderful mother. I know you are. You’re the most kind and gentle person I know and I know you will never let anything happen to her. It’s all instinct. Once she’s placed in your arms you’ll know what to do. As for hearing her in the night, that’s what I’m here for. I will hear her if you don’t.”_

_“How do you know so much?”_

_“It’s because I’m an old man.”_

_I giggled at him. “You definitely are old. Aren’t you scared?”_

_“Of course, I’m scared. When I was human, the women did all the work. I didn’t have to do anything but provide for my family. I would have taught my sons to fight and use a sword, but I never got the chance,” he said and I could feel his sorrow. “When I was to marry Aude I was young, but it was my duty.  I was nervous about taking my brother’s place in her and their children’s lives, but my mother told me to follow my instincts, that they had always led me well in the past and would continue to do so.”_

_I gave him a soft kiss and lay my head on his shoulder while snuggling up to him._

_“What was your mother like?”_

_Eric was quiet for a minute, so I looked up and noticed he had a distant look on his face as he always did when he was thinking about his long past._

_“She was strong like all Viking women were back then, but she was very beautiful and kind.”_

_“Does it bother you to talk about her, about when you were human?”_

_“It makes me sad sometimes when I talk about my family. I mourned the loss of my family for many years after I was turned, but until I met you I had not thought about them in hundreds of years. I am only sad that I don’t know what became of them and they didn’t know what happened to me. For them, I vanished. I never came home from a dinner with the family of the daughter I hoped would marry me.”_

_I couldn’t imagine what Eric must have gone through after he was turned, never being able to see his family ever again._

_“Do you remember what your mother’s name was?” I asked him barely above a whisper._

_“Her name was Ella,” he said while pulling me tighter into his body._

_“What would you think if we named our daughter after your mother? How about Ella Adele Northman?”_

_“You would name her after my mother? You don’t want her to have your own mother’s name?”_

_“I wasn’t close to my mother. She always thought I was a freak and that my father paid me too much attention. I would like to honor you and your mother by giving our baby your mother’s name and giving her Adele for a middle name after my grandmother.”_

OoOoO

After inspecting every little thing in the room, I finally looked over at Pam. She had a genuine smile on her face.

“Pam!” I exclaimed, and rushed over to her, which wasn’t too fast these days. It was more like a waddle. I gave her a quick hug and she patted my back awkwardly. “Thank you so much. It’s so beautiful!”

“Thank you. Now if only you could convince my Master to let me decorate the whole house…”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I said while giggling.

Alcide left and went back into the living room after a few minutes. Pam and I stayed in the nursery looking at all the cute little baby clothes that were in the dresser and closet. I knew one thing; this baby would probably never have to wear the same outfit twice with the amount of clothes she already had. I had to remind Pam that the baby would grow.

“I know, and it’s going to be so much fun shopping for her. I hope that she won’t have your fashion sense, and she and I willbecome shopping buddies.”

I could only laugh at Pam. I knew she would try her hardest to make Ella into a fashionista just like her.

We stayed in the nursery for nearly an hour looking at everything. I knew what Pam was doing and I was grateful. Yet no matter how hard she tried, I couldn’t get my mind off of what Eric might be doing that very moment and praying that he would be safe and come home to me in one piece.

Every second that passed felt like hours and the hours felt like days. Never had I been so anxious for a single phone call before, but I felt as if I was going to lose my mind if I didn’t hear that phone ring soon. The takeover was tonight, and I was waiting for Eric to call me and let me know that it was a success.

It was a little after four a.m. when I heard my phone ring. I tried to scramble to get the phone, but Pam reached it before me. She was speaking quietly in Swedish. I guess she didn’t want me or Alcide to know what they were discussing. I knew it was me by the side looks she was giving me. After a couple of minutes, she finally handed me the phone.

“Eric,” I said, not bothering to hide my anxiety or the concern in my voice.

“Hello, my love. How are you?” My heart fluttered at hearing the sound of his voice as relief washed over me.

“I’m fine now that I’ve heard from you.”

“I’m sorry this has been so stressful for you, but it’s all over and I’ll be home tomorrow.”

I closed my eyes, sinking into the couch with a sigh of relief. “How’d it all go? Was anyone hurt?” I asked.

“No, not even a scratch,” he assured me.

“And DeCastro?”

“He’s no more. You have nothing to worry about. We’re free from him.”

His words lifted a heavy weight from my shoulders that I hadn’t even realized was there, and a sense of peace and gratitude washed over me.

“Thank you, Eric.”

I could hear the smile in his voice and feel his love for me. “Anything for you, my love, my wife.”

“I really miss you. I hated waking up today without you there.”

“I miss you too. We are too far away from each other. I can feel the pull to get back to you.”

“I feel it too. I’ve never felt it before. Have you?”

“I have not. You know I’ve never been bonded before and our bond is very strong. We are not two people anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“We are one now. We cannot live without the other.”

“I already knew I couldn’t live without you, but I’ve never felt this. Is it a bad thing?”

“No, it’s not bad,” he chuckled. “I like it very much. It’s nothing to worry about. I want you to get some rest now. We are on our way back to Mississippi as we speak and I’ll be staying there for the night. I won’t have time to get back home before the sunrises. I will leave as soon as I can tomorrow night. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes,” I said and took a deep breath. Eric was coming home tomorrow and everything was going to be okay.

“I need to go. We are going to be landing soon. I will see you when I get home tomorrow. No more worrying. I mean it.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow. I love you. Good night.”

“Good night, dear one. I love you.”

I hung up the phone and said my good nights to Pam and Alcide. I quickly stripped off my clothes and fell into bed. I pulled Eric’s pillow to my chest and took a deep breath in before closing my eyes. I fell asleep, and amazingly my bladder didn’t wake me up once through the night.

OoOoO

I could feel Eric getting closer and closer through the bond. I had a big smile on my face, and Alcide gave me a strange look, but I ignored him. Nothing was going to take away my happiness!

Alcide had been a good sport while he stayed here protecting me. I knew he was nervous that something might happen while Eric was away, but he never let it show.  I felt bad that he must have been up all day with nothing to do, but he informed me that since he was up almost all night as well as the night before, he had slept most of the day away. Pam had really worn him out.

We heard a loud thud outside on the deck. Alcide stood in a protective stance in front of me until he saw it was Eric walking through the door.

Eric came strolling in as if he had just been gone to wash his car, not like he was coming home from a takeover where he could have died.  Even though I knew he was okay, I was still anxious for him to be home with me.

Eric walked over to me, swooped me off the couch, and laid the mother of all kisses on me while he took us down to ourbedroom. He strolled over to the bed and stopped abruptly. I turned to see what could have caused him to stop. Not much would stop Eric once he had his mind on sex. All I could see was the cradle from when I was a baby.

“Is that the cradle you mentioned?” he asked softly. I couldn’t place what he was feeling, but it wasn’t what he was feeling a few moments ago.

“Yes. Jason just finished fixing it up last week. Alcide went and picked it up for me before he came over the other night. There’s a crib in the nursery upstairs, but I thought it would be nice to have something down here with us. At least at first since I may be sore. Pam has another cradle for the living room.”

Eric placed me on my feet, and then sat down on the bed looking at the cradle. “It’s very small,” he said. I sat down beside him placing one hand on my stomach and taking one of his hands with the other.

“It is. Babies aren’t very big,” I said and squeezed his hand. After a long moment, Eric finally looked at me and gave me a sad smile.

“I had forgotten. It’s nice that you still have yours from when you were a baby,” I nodded, unsure what to say. Eric turned back and continued to stare at the cradle.

“Eric?” I said after a few minutes. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He pulled me closer to him, hugging me and placing a kiss on my lips. “I do not often think of the time when I was human. You are the only one I share it with. I had forgotten how small a baby was until I saw your cradle. It made me think of my other children for a moment. How I will never know what happened to them. What became of them. This time will be different. I will bethere for everything I possibly can for our dotter.”

I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. There had never been a doubt in my mind that Eric would make a great father. “I know you will,” I said and placed a kiss on his cheek.


	12. Chapter 12

**EPOV: August**

I rose to feeling Sookie in pain, not something I ever wanted to feel coming from her. I opened my eyes, and she was sitting on the bed next to me with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths.

She finally opened her eyes once the pain subsided.

“I really hate that you’re a vampire right now,” she said barely above a whisper.

Not exactly what I thought she would say. It was as if the old Sookie was talking, trying to hurt me with her words without thinking.

“The sun sets way too late in August,” she sighed, and then lay her head down on my chest. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re in pain. Why are you sitting here? Are you in labor?” I couldn’t figure out why she’d be sitting here if she was.

“I’ve been in labor for the last six hours.”

Six hours! “Why didn’t you call Alcide and have him take you to the hospital? That was the plan if you were to go into labor during the day,” I replied, trying to keep my voice level and calm.

“My contractions aren’t far enough apart for me to go to the hospital. I could still be in labor when you die for the day,” she said with a tear slipping down her cheek.

“Why are you upset?” I asked her. She was confusing the shit out of me tonight!

“I want you to be there when the baby’s born. I don’t want to have her in the morning, and have to wait all day for you to see her.”

“I don’t want that either, but I need you to do what’s best for you and the baby. How far along are your contractions?”

“They’re about seven minutes apart so it shouldn’t be long until we can go to the hospital,” she said, but her voice was a little shaky.

I sat up, caressed her back and hair, hoping to help relieve some of her stress.

“I will take away as much of the pain as I can. Just let me know when you want me to start.”

Sookie nodded as a contraction started. I grabbed my phone from the charger and checked the time. I wanted to keep track of how far apart her contractions were coming. We sat in silence waiting for the contraction to stop as she gripped my hand tightly.

Once it was over, I finally spoke, “Do you want me take the pain away on your next one?”

“No. I want to try to feel this as much as possible. This is my only time giving birth and I want to have the whole experience. I’ll tell you when it becomes too much for me.”

“Just let me know,” I replied. I hated to see her in pain this way and the thought of all she was giving up to be with me

“I will. I promise when the pain becomes too much, I’ll be happy for you to take it away as much as you can.”

“I’m going to take a quick shower and get dressed,” I said while I nodded my head. “Send a text to Pam letting her know what’s going on and that we’ll keep her informed.” I walked off into the bathroom, my mind trying to picture that I would have my daughter in my arms very soon.

I knew Sookie had said she had never planned on being a mother until she found out she was pregnant, but I couldn’t help feel a little guilty that she might one day want another child. If that was the case then we would find a way, even though it would push back our timeline for when she’d be turned. I’d give her anything she asked. She asked for so little, only for the simple,intangible things like my love or time. In all my years, every woman with whom I had an acquaintance only desired my body and money. Every one of them expected lavish gifts of designer clothes and jewelry. None really wanted me, just my money or power.

I had never mentioned it to Sookie, but I was nervous about her giving birth. I tried my hardest not to let it flow through the bond. I had already lost a wife and a child after childbirth, I didn’t even love her, but if I lost Sookie… I’d meet the sun. I would only continue to live if Ella survived.

I was brought out of my dark thoughts when I turned in the shower to rinse the shampoo from my hair and Sookie was standing at the doorway to our shower.

“I’m going to steal your line and ask you what’s got you feeling this way?” she said with a worried expression on her face. Just what I didn’t want. That’s why I’d been hiding this.

I sighed and stopped washing my body. “That I don’t want anything to happen to you. As you know when I was human, my wife died shortly after giving birth as did our child.”

Sookie reached inside the shower to grab my arm. I stepped toward her so she wouldn’t get unnecessarily wet. Any other time I would have dragged her in, but not tonight.

“Nothing bad is going to happen to me or Ella,” she said while cupping my cheek. “Medicine has advanced quite a bit since you were human,” she said and got a wide grin on her face. “Given that it was pretty much nonexistent back then.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Only Sookie could make me laugh at a time like this. I stepped back into the shower to finish rinsing. When I was done, Sookie was standing with a towel waiting for me.

“Everything’s different than when you were human and I know that if anything happens to me or Ella, you’ll give us your blood. If I’m going to die, then you’ll turn me. I’d rather be around for Ella’s life some of the time than none at all.”

“You’d let me give her blood if it was needed?” I asked truly surprised.

“Of course, I would. She’s your daughter! I don’t think you’re going to give it to her unless she really needs it, but I don’t want you to worry because I know we’ll be fine.”

“Here I’m supposed to be the calm one, and you’re the one talking me down,” I said while drying off, and then getting dressed.

“I’m happy to do it. It’s keeping my mind off the fact that I’m in labor, and life as we both know it will forever be changed.”

“But changed in a good way,” I said and kissed her ever so softly on the lips. “Have you been keeping track of your contractions while I was in the shower?”

“No, but I don’t think they’ve increased. I’m going to go upstairs and eat something because once I get to the hospital, they won’t let me eat until after the baby’s born. I’m really not looking forward to staying there.”

“How about I make you a deal?”

“Let me hear it,” she said with excitement. She really didn’t want to stay at the hospital and I couldn’t blame her. I knew it wasdifficult for her to be around all the people in the hospital and their thoughts.

“If you have the baby tonight, and there’s enough time after you’ve both been checked out, and everything’s okay, I will give you my blood to heal you, and then bring you home.”

“Sounds great! What’s the catch?”

“Alcide or Amelia must come over for the whole day until I rise for the night. If anything even remotely goes wrong, I want you to go back and see Dr. Ludwig, or have her come here.”

“Deal,” she said while rising up on her toes to give me a kiss. That was easy. Too easy. I hoped that the rest of the night would continue for us just as easily.

While Sookie ate dinner, her contractions were getting closer and closer together. It was time to go to the hospital, but she wanted to finish eating her last meal. I didn’t find her calling it her last meal funny in the least. There were times when it’s too late to turn someone, when there was too much damage done. I wouldn’t let that happen, not to her.

When she finally finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, she looked over at me with narrowed eyes.

“You’re really not helping me when you’re so nervous.”

“I just want to get you to the hospital. Make sure everything’s okay. Your contractions are four minutes apart. It’s time to go.”

Sookie slowly walked over to me, cupping my face in her hands. For a brief moment, I was saddened that this would be the last time she would be round with child. She was gorgeous pregnant.

“I’m fine. Yes, the contractions are getting closer together and the pain is getting more intense, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Do you feel me freaking out?”

I shook my head. I felt as if I was taking all of what could be her anxiety, leaving her calm. I would gladly take it if that were the case.

She turned around with her back pressed against my chest, and grabbed both my hands, placing them on her stomach.

“When I have a contraction you should be able to feel it. It will feel like my stomach is tightening up. Can you hear my heart rate?” I nodded in the affirmative. “Can you hear the baby’s heart?” I nodded again. “Is mine elevated? Has the baby’s changed from what it is normally?”

“No,” I said, feeling a little more calm than I did a few seconds before. “You both are fine, but I still want to get you to the hospital.”

Just as I said that, I could feel another contraction. I could feel the roundness of her belly get tight and hard just as I felt her pain.

Once the contraction was over it was time to leave, no more distractions. “It’s time to go, dear one. Do you have everything that you need?”

“My bag and the car seat are in the car. We’re ready to go. You know this worried husband and father thing is really cute on you,” she said.

“You think?” I said as I led her to the car. I was so happy when she decided that she would drive the Escalade and not some piece of junk. There was no way I was going to get her car all the way from Maine. It would have had an accident on the way here. I would have made certain of it.

We had only been in the car for only about five minutes when I felt a shift in Sookie.

“Oh, My God!” she gasped. “I think my water just broke and it’s all over the seat.”

“Are you okay?” I asked as I glanced over to see that she was gripping the door handle and the center console.

“Yeah, that means my labor will progress quickly now,” she said, taking deep, concentrated breaths. “What are we going to doabout the seat?”

“Don’t worry about the seat, I’ll have Pam take care of it,” I assured her. “Did you send Pam a text telling her what’s going on?”

Sookie kept looking down at her lap and the seat for a few moments before she answered me. “I did. I let her know we’d try to keep her updated.”

“Good. We’re almost there, just a few more minutes,” I reached over and picked up her hand bringing it to my mouth and placing a kiss on each finger.

Once we got inside, Sookie was placed into a wheelchair and we were taken down a long corridor to the room where she would be giving birth. They gave her a gown to change into, and then she got into bed so they could start strapping her down with different machines and IV fluids.

When the nurse left, Sookie tried to explain just what all the equipment they had hooked up to her did. There was a white pulse ox meter on her finger for her pulse and oxygen levels. A blood pressure cuff on her arm would automatically check her blood pressure every ten minutes. The two bands placed around her stomach monitored the baby.

It wasn’t too long before Dr. Ludwig came in to check on Sookie. I was happy that Sookie had agreed to have the baby here instead of a regular hospital. Here it would be no problem for me to give Sookie my blood, and take her home when this was all over with if she and the baby were in good health.

“How far apart are your contractions?” she asked Sookie.

“About four minutes, and my water broke on the way here.”

“When did your labor start?”

“I’d say almost eight hours ago.”

Doctor Ludwig went to the machines to look over the printouts before sitting down in front of the bed.

“I’m going to check to see how far you’re dilated.” I watched her put on the latex gloves and snake her hand underneath the sheet.

Watching someone else touch Sookie this way brought out every possessive instinct in me. I wanted to rip off the arm she was using to touch her. I was told and I knew that this was all standard procedure, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

“Your water has definitely broken and you’re already dilated to seven, almost eight.  Since your water broke, labor should move along rather quickly now. I want you to rest as much as possible so you will have plenty of strength when it’s time to push. Are you planning on wanting any drugs?”

“Not if I can help it. I would like to do this as naturally as possible. Eric said when I asked he would take as much of the pain away as he can. I’m hoping that will be enough.” I hoped so too. I hated seeing Sookie in pain, and this place reminded me of a time when she was in more pain than I could take into myself. I was hoping that having the baby wouldn’t be as much pain as when she was tortured.

Dr. Ludwig looked over at me. “Do you think you will be able to control yourself with all the blood?”

My temper was rising. How dare she insult me? I would never hurt Sookie and I had unfortunately been around her plenty when she was bleeding. That would have strained most vampires’ control, but I had never once lost my control and never would.

I felt Sookie send me reassurance and calmness. I felt ashamed that I was making this experience more stressful on her.

“I’ll be fine. I have never lost control around Sookie,” I replied, trying to calm myself for Sookie.

“Good. You should be able to take most of the pain away for her. I want her to be able to feel some, so she will know what’s going on with her body.” I nodded my head. “It shouldn’t take any longer than three or four more hours. The baby should be born before sunrise,” the doctor stated.

“Afterward I would like to give Sookie some of my blood to heal her, and if she and the baby are stable, I’d like to take them home,” I saw the small doctor raise an eyebrow at me. “I will have someone with her the entire day until I rise for the night. If there’s any problem, big or small, she has promised to return or call you. Sookie doesn’t do well in hospitals, feeling everyone’s pain and thoughts.”

“We should be able to work that out. If they are stable, then they can go home with you before sunrise. Make sure you’ve arranged for someone to be with her.”

“I will,” I wouldn’t let anything happen to my family.

“I’ll be back in a little while to check your progress. Rest while you can, little girl.”

It never ceased to amaze me how Sookie could charm anyone, including the small doctor who seemed to dislike everyone.

Once the doctor left, Sookie tried to get comfortable by laying on her side facing me.

“Is there anything I can do or get for you?” I asked her. I wanted and needed to start making this as easy as possible for her.

“I’m fine for right now. Why don’t you call Pam and update her as well as Alcide to let him know we will need him in the morning, bright and early.”

I placed a kiss on the top of her head before making my way out into the hall to make my calls. I was only gone for a total of three minutes when I felt another one of Sookie’s contractions hit her. This one was stronger than all the others had been so far. I quickly got off the phone so I could get into the room to be with her.

“I think on the next contraction I’d like you take away the pain,” she said immediately after her contraction had passed. A slight sheen of sweat was covering her forehead. “That one was much stronger, and I’m so tired right now.”

I only nodded since her eyes were already slowly closing. I moved my chair closer to her bed, took one of her tiny hands in mine, and ran my other hand through her hair.

When I saw Sookie’s next contraction starting on the machine, I took the pain away before she ever woke up or started to feel it. She slept until the doctor came back in an hour later to check on her when she had to roll onto her back.

It was another two hours before Sookie was ready to have the baby. I’d been in downtime, only coming out when the doctor or nurse would come in. Sookie had gotten some much-needed rest before they told her it was time to push.

The nurse adjusted Sookie’s bed so she would be in a position that was close to sitting. As Sookie began to push, she lifted her back off the bed and squeezed my hand while a nurse counted to ten for her. If I had been human, I think she would have broken my hand. She was definitely stronger than most humans since she’d been taking my blood.

It seemed to help with her pushing because it only took five pushes before the doctor told her to stop.

Sookie fell back onto the bed trying to catch her breath. I swept all her damp hair off her forehead before placing a kiss there, reassuring her that she was doing a great job and was almost done.

“All right, give me one last, strong push and the baby’s head will be out.”

Sookie sat up and squeezed my hand tighter than ever while pushing. I placed my other hand and arm around her back helping her stay in position.

All of a sudden, I could smell blood, but before I had a chance to worry about it, I heard Ella cry.

My world stopped in that moment.

“One more push, Sookie, and then you’ll be done,” Dr. Ludwig told her.

Sookie was tired like any woman who had just pushed a baby out, so I sent my strength to her while she pushed with all her might.

Once the Ella was finally out, Sookie was exhausted, but smiling as she collapsed back onto the bed. Dr. Ludwig placed our baby on her chest. I had never seen a more perfect baby or mother in all of my days.

I watched as Sookie gazed lovingly down at our daughter. She was perfect. She already had a little tuft of blonde hair, and pink, pursed lips. Her eyes were closed so I couldn’t tell the color, but I knew they were beautiful. I couldn’t see much else because she was wrapped tightly in a blanket, except that she was perfect.

After a few moments, Sookie looked up at me. She had tears in her eyes, but I knew they were tears of joy. She was beaming, she was so happy.

“You did so well. I’m so proud of you,” I told her before I placed a small, soft kiss on her lips.

“Do you want to hold her?” she asked me.

I nodded my head as I carefully took our daughter from her arms and cradled her closely to me. I was right, she was the perfect baby.

“We need to take her to get cleaned up and run a few tests if you want to go home tonight,” Dr. Ludwig said.

A nurse came over to take Ella from me. I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, and then Sookie did the same before the nurse took her away.

I watched as Sookie fell asleep with a peaceful smile on her face while I thought about how amazing it was to see Sookie give birth. During my human days, men were never allowed to be with the women while they gave birth. Not that we wanted to, but this was different. Everything was different. Better.

I got to see the miracle of birth of my own daughter. To experience the pregnancy and birth in a way no other father had. I never realized just how painful labor could be until I was taking away the pain for Sookie. Something I was happy to do. I would make sure that she never experienced pain ever again if it was in my power.

It was a couple of hours before we as a family, were leaving for home. After taking my blood, Sookie was feeling energized once again and was walking around as if she hadn’t just given birth.

“Every new mother should get some vampire blood after they give birth. It would make it so much easier for them to take care of their children if they did!” she exclaimed.

I chuckled, “I’m sure they would like the effects of vampire blood, but I don’t think any vampires are going to be giving out their blood for all the new mothers out there.”

“I know, but I’m grateful that you gave me yours, and for how wonderful I feel.”

“You never have to ask.  It’s yours for the taking.  Although you may be a little high on vampire blood,” I chuckled. “I want you to be careful today. It will take some time for my blood to heal you completely and I don’t want you to over-exert yourself.”

“I promise,” she said with a big smile on her face. She was beyond happy. She was sending so much love, contentment, and happiness through the bond that I almost felt drunk from her!

I died for the day that morning with my family lying in bed with me, feeling more at peace than I had in a thousand years.

OoOoO

**One week later: September – SPOV**

I awoke and sat straight up.  Something woke me, but all was quiet in the house.  I looked over into the cradle that was by the bed and it was empty.

Panic shot through me. Where was Ella? I looked to my left and Eric’s side of the bed was empty too. I checked the time on the alarm clock and it read 4:30 am.

I made my way upstairs to see if I could find Eric and Ella. They weren’t in the living room or kitchen so I walked toward the nursery. I stopped in the doorway when I caught sight of them.

Eric was rocking Ella who was bundled up in a blanket to keep her warm with her head lying against his chest. He was lightly humming, but I couldn’t make out what it was.

My heart soared at the sight in front of me. Seeing Eric being so loving with our daughter, I had seen other displays, but thisone was so sweet and not something I thought I would ever see.

Eric’s eyes opened, and he turned his head my way while holding out his arm. I quietly padded over to him, not wanting to wake Ella. He rose from the rocking chair and put Ella in her crib. We both stood there watching her sleep for a few minutes. Eric was behind me with his arms around my middle and his chin on the top of my head.

“I didn’t hear her wake,” I whispered.

“She didn’t cry, she was just restless. I brought her up here so we wouldn’t wake you. I guess I wasn’t successful.”

“I don’t know what woke me. I only know that I awoke and you were both gone, so I came to find you. I’m glad I did,” I said as I smiled up at him. “What were you humming to her?”

“A lullaby from my human days. I don’t remember the words, only the tune. I read it’s very soothing for a baby to listen to their parent’s heartbeat, but since my heart doesn’t beat, I thought if I hummed it might work.”

I turned around in his arms so I could wrap my own around him and lay my own head against his chest.

“It looks like it worked. She’s out.”

“I’m sorry if I woke you. I wanted you to be able to get some rest before I died for the day and she woke again.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’ve been pretty tired.” I looked up at him. “Will you come and lay down with me or do you have some work to do?”

“I would love nothing more than to lay with my wife,” he said while ushering me out of the room.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Always,” he responded with a smirk.

We lay down in bed, cuddled up together with me in Eric’s arms and my head on his chest.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so tired. It’s going to take me a while to get a better schedule for Ella.”

“Don’t worry. I understand,” he replied while rubbing his hand along my back, pulling me deeper into a sleepy trance. “Sleep now. I’ll see you when I rise. I love you, my wife.”

“I love you,” I said and kissed his chest. Eric’s heart might be silent, but it was full of love.

OoOoO

**Four years later- SPOV-June**

Ella and I had just finished breakfast even though it was almost one in the afternoon. If we decided to send her to school next year, then our hours were going to have to change dramatically.

I wanted Eric and Ella to be able to spend as much time together as they could and during the summer, there were definitelymore daylight hours than not. I felt like Eric and I hardly had any alone time during the summer months. No, definitely not enough. I once loved the sun, but during the summer months, I longed for lengthier nights with my husband.

I would hate to think of what would happen if any Supes knew that Ella was going to school and planned an attack during the day. We could always hire a bodyguard, but no child should have to go to school with protection like that. It would be hardenough for her to try to explain that her Daddy’s a vampire. Fortunately, Ella didn’t get the telepathy gene from me. She was just an average four-year-old girl with a little bit of fairy in her.

Ella loves her Daddy so much it’s beyond words, and he treats her like a little princess. She has him wrapped around her little finger and it warms my heart every time I see them together.

She sees nothing wrong with her Daddy and her Aunt Pam being vampires. For the most part, Ella isn’t around many normalhumans. We see Tara and her twins occasionally, but not very often. About three years ago, Amelia and Alcide started dating, and got married after only dating for three months. Seven months later, they had a little girl named Lucy. Even with the age difference, Ella enjoys playing with Lucy and spending time with Amelia and Alcide.

A year ago, Jason married Michelle and she’s expecting their first child. We tried to spend a good amount of time with other people so she wasn’t only around her parents. We wanted her to be social and, boy, was she! She loved attention!

Our circle of friends may be small, but they all loved Ella, especially Pam. It didn’t take Pam long to warm up to her. I think it was dressing her up in insanely priced designer outfits and her looking so damn cute in them. Now, once a month Pam takes Ella shopping at the mall for a girl’s night out. Eric and I get to be a real couple, and go out on a date while they’re away.

So there we were, Ella and I, enjoying swimming in the pool. She loved swimming. I think it was because her biological father was a water fairy. Luckily, that seemed to be the only trait she had received from him. She enjoyed swimming so much that Eric was building us a new house between Shreveport and Bon Temps where there would be an indoor as well as an outdoor pool, and a stable for our little girl who loved horses.  Did I mention that she had him wrapped around her little finger?

The house we were building would have more light tight spaces, an entire floor to be exact. We planned to live there for a very long time. I think Eric was preparing it for when he turned me. I knew he was anxious to finally make me a vampire. I was only hoping that his blood would keep me looking young until that time. Right then, I looked a little younger than when we first met, but we still had another fourteen years until Ella was eighteen.

“Momma,” I heard Ella call out; bringing me out of my musings. “Watch how far I can swim underwater!”

“Show me, my little mermaid, how far you can swim,” I said back to her.

She drove underwater and almost made it the entire length of the pool before she came up for air. She took a deep breath and swam back to me.

“Did I do good, Momma?”

I picked her up and threw her up in the air, catching her as she hit the water. “You did great! I bet by the end of the summeryou’ll be able to make it to the end of the pool!”

She got a big smile on her face, “Really?” she asked.

“Really. You’re almost there now! I know you can.”

She looked up to the sun squinting her eyes for a moment. “I wish Daddy was out here to see me swim in the sun,” she said with sadness in her voice.

“Me too, baby. You know that if he could, Daddy would be out here. He would love to see you in the sun and swimming.” He would give anything to be able to see just that in person, but he had seen it plenty of times when we had recorded it for him.

“Tonight when Daddy gets up you can show him. He’ll be surprised at how far you can swim!”

Ella lay her head down on my shoulder, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck.

“I love you, Momma.”

“I love you too, baby.”

We stayed out in the pool for another couple of hours trying to enjoy the sun and water.  It was early in the summer, and we were both happy for the warm weather. Although my mood was dampened by Ella’s earlier claim of wishing Eric could be outside with us, I worked to put it behind me. I didn’t want Eric to notice it when he rose for the night. I didn’t want to make him feel guilty for missing out and making us sad that he couldn’t join us when it was physically impossible.

We had just finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen when Eric appeared. The second Ella saw him, she went running to jump into his arms. Eric scooped her up and placed a kiss on her cheek.

“Good morning, Daddy,” Ella said while she hugged herself to him.

“Good morning, princess,” he replied back. “What have my two favorite girls been up to today?”

“Swimming!” Ella exclaimed loudly. “I want to show you how good I can swim. Will you come watch?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it. Go change into your swimsuit, and then you can show me after I say hello to your mother.”

Ella squirmed as Eric sat her down on her feet, and then she took off as fast as her little legs could carry her, excited to show her Daddy how well she could swim.

Eric sauntered over to where I was standing.

“Hello, my beautiful wife,” he said before he planted a toe-curling kiss on me.

OoOoO

I once read that love is not enough to make a person significant in your life. It is what they did that changed you.

Life has a funny way of working out. For a long time I couldn’t see what was right in front of me, and it took me stepping away to realize that love isn’t enough to make a person significant in your life. It’s what they did that changed you and that is what you’ll remember throughout the years.

I never would have thought that in my darkest hour true love would save me, but having Eric in my arms, I knew it did. Eric has never given up on me and has made so many sacrifices for me and our daughter that I wouldn’t even know where to begin to thank him. For everything that I’ve lost, everything that I’ve thrown away, I was somehow given another chance at happiness. I was given my love, my husband, my Eric. In him, I have found redemption.

 ~ The End ~

This is the end of Redemption. I’m sad to see the end, but I’m currently working on a new story and once I get some more chapters written I will start posting. Thank you for reading!

Thank you [Virala](http://viralafanfiction.wordpress.com/) for all your help! xo

The birth experience is from my own experiences and made up since obviously none of us get our own Eric to take away the pain. Every birth is different and I’m sure some things have changed since I last gave birth over thirteen years ago.

Love is not enough to make a person significant in your life. It is what they did that changed you.  ― [Shannon L. Alder](http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1391130.Shannon_L_Alder), [Never or Forever](http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/25701585)

 

Click to download [Redemption](https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByA9xsdvw4OibXZjaWJfM0MtN0U&authuser=0) PDF

[Gyllene’s Story Downloads](http://gyllene76.com/secret-distraction/gyllenes-media-to-go/)


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